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Open research questions in Coastal and Marine Dynamics

115 gap statements mined from Coastal and Marine Dynamics papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 1,083 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • The dynamic nature of coastal environments, - The lack of high-quality topographic data, - The reliance on spectral standard deviation calculated within a moving window introduces a theoretical landward bias.

    Coast-O-Matic: an automated shoreline detection method using PlanetScope satellite imagery · 2026 · DOI

  • The development of accurate coastal models is often constrained by a lack of high-quality topographic data. Traditional survey methods are insufficient for continuous monitoring due to the dynamic nature of coastal environments.

    Coast-O-Matic: an automated shoreline detection method using PlanetScope satellite imagery · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies several technical challenges, including the need for high-resolution data and the complexity of simulating shoreline morphodynamics. The paper also notes the challenge of balancing construction expenses with minimal ecological disturbance while maintaining high morphological performance.

    Coupled coastal modelling system and particle tracking model for shoreline morphodynamics and management at the Kitchener Drain Outlet, Northern Nile Delta, Egypt · 2026 · DOI

  • The model was limited to a simulation-only approach, without field validation. The model was sensitive to the choice of parameters, with a ± 10% range of the calibrated values used to quantify uncertainties. The model did not account for other factors that may impact shoreline morphodynamics, such as biological processes or human activities.

    Coupled coastal modelling system and particle tracking model for shoreline morphodynamics and management at the Kitchener Drain Outlet, Northern Nile Delta, Egypt · 2026 · DOI

  • The physical mechanisms governing wave energy dissipation and overtopping are not fully understood. There is a need to investigate the effectiveness of stepped embankment configurations.

    Analysis of wave overtopping and dissipation mechanisms on stepped coastal embankments · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for accurate prediction of the geometry of ripples in seafloor microtopography. Prior work has not fully investigated the dynamic changes in micro-geomorphology of sandy seafloor under wave action.

    A study on the dynamic changes in micro-geomorphology of sandy seafloor under the influence of wave action · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to investigate the spatial variability of wave climate around Androth island. The existing research gap in understanding the extreme wave climate around Androth island needs to be addressed.

    Wave height variability and extreme wave height estimation at remote islands of Lakshadweep for planning of infrastructure, Arabian Sea · 2026 · DOI

  • The accuracy of the extents of the CMZ derived in the study is limited to the sensitivities of the data used.

    Assessment of coastal exposure of climate-driven oceanic hazards along the East Coast of India using geospatial techniques · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies can investigate the impacts of climate change on the beach's evolution. Research can focus on developing sustainable coastal development strategies. The study's findings can be applied to other beaches along the Moroccan Atlantic coast.

    Geospatial analysis of the multidecadal and seasonal evolution of Sidi Rbat beach, Morocco, using GIS, topographic surveys, and digital elevation models · 2026 · DOI

  • The need to understand the multidecadal and seasonal evolution of Sidi Rbat beach. The lack of comprehensive analysis of the complex interactions between hydrodynamic, fluvial, aeolian, and anthropogenic factors shaping the beach.

    Geospatial analysis of the multidecadal and seasonal evolution of Sidi Rbat beach, Morocco, using GIS, topographic surveys, and digital elevation models · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research can focus on experimental validation of the numerical model. Future research can investigate the application of the porous pile cone breakwater design in different coastal environments.

    IMPLEMENTATION OF POROUS PILE CONE BREAKWATER FOR PROTECTING SHORELINE AND PRESERVING MARINE BIODIVERSITY · 2026 · DOI

  • Future work should calibrate the proposed map using empirical indicators of coastal residual risk, such as flood frequency, inundation duration, exposure index, or normalized damage records. Such calibration would allow the parameters 𝑟, 𝛾, 𝜃, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚 to be interpreted more quantitatively for a specific coastal region. The next natural extension is to include seasonal forcing.

    Threshold-Induced Bifurcation and Chaos in a One-Dimensional Coastal Risk Adaptation Map · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should examine the morphodynamic changes on other estuarine beaches. Future research should investigate the impact of human activities on estuarine beaches. Future research should develop more complex models of wave-climate parameters and their impact on estuarine beaches.

    Wave-Climate–Driven Seasonal Morphodynamic Changes on an Estuarine Beach (Río de la Plata, Argentina) · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of understanding of the morphodynamic changes on estuarine beaches. The study aims to fill this gap by examining the morphodynamic changes on a beach within the Río de la Plata estuary.

    Wave-Climate–Driven Seasonal Morphodynamic Changes on an Estuarine Beach (Río de la Plata, Argentina) · 2026 · DOI

  • The experiments are limited to laboratory scale and may not fully represent natural estuarine systems. The dataset may not be comprehensive enough to capture all the complexities of estuarine hydrodynamics and morphodynamics.

    Experimental dataset on estuarine hydrodynamics and morphodynamics for various planforms, perturbations and timescales · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of understanding of the impacts of anthropogenic modifications on tidal circulation in shallow microtidal estuaries. There is a need for the development of nature-based solutions to restore tidal circulation in altered estuaries.

    Influences of Common Anthropogenic Modifications on Tidal Circulation in a Shallow Microtidal Estuary: Applications of Basin-scale Nature-based Solutions · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies the need for a methodology that integrates remote sensing data, aerial photographs, tide gauge records, and ocean-climatological data. The study notes that the interpretation of oceanographic and meteorological conditions is challenging due to the large-scale ocean-meteorological phenomena acting over the Atlantic Ocean.

    Overwash processes: spatio-temporal scales and dynamics of the coastal system in southern Santa Catarina, Brazil · 2026 · DOI

  • Infragravity (IG) waves play a crucial role in nearshore hydrodynamics and sediment transport; however, their generation and dissipation mechanisms during extreme storms remain challenging to assess due to limited data availability, site‐specific characteristics of natural landscapes, and anthropogenic effects.

    Generation and Dissipation of Infragravity Waves Over Natural and Engineered Chenier Plain During Hurricane Laura · 2026 · DOI

  • The need to account for human alterations to barriers and their sediment supplies in order to predict barrier behavior over short and long timescales.

    Barrier island geomorphic complexity drives storm and post-storm response · 2026 · DOI

  • In contrast, outwash events with inundation from the sound side, such as one that occurred in Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina, USA during Hurricane Dorian (September 2019), are understudied.

    Numerical Simulation of Sound‐Side Barrier‐Island Inundation and Breaching During Hurricane Dorian (2019) · 2025 · DOI

  • Extending the experimental dataset to include more complex wave conditions. Developing more advanced numerical models to improve the accuracy of wave predictions.

    A laboratory experiment and procedure for deterministic validation of numerical wave models · 2026 · DOI

  • The state occupies a surface area of 10,773 km² and is endowed with a very extensive coastline fringed by mangrove swamps, tidal creeks, barrier islands, and deltaic plains that are singularly exposed to erosion with their perpetually changing geological and hydrological arrangements. Figure 1: Location map of Bayelsa State showing major coastal segments, local government areas, and key geographical features.

    COASTAL EROSION DYNAMICS AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE IN BAYELSA, NIGERIA: A COMPREHENSIVE TIME SERIES ANALYSIS USING REMOTE SENSING AND GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES · 2026 · DOI

  • The study notes that subtle variations in the dynamics of coastal barriers provide a critical framework for deciphering the paleogeographic evolution of coastal plains.

    Overwash processes: spatio-temporal scales and dynamics of the coastal system in southern Santa Catarina, Brazil · 2026 · DOI

  • Few observational studies have quantified all relevant sediment fluxes, - Limited understanding of the range of values driving models, - Analysis focused on six predominantly natural areas, - Influence of infrastructure and direct human modifications on measured volume…

    Barrier island geomorphic complexity drives storm and post-storm response · 2026 · DOI

  • These results provide a critical framework for first order estimation of the accuracy of satellite-derived shoreline positions derived at sites lacking validation data, and bring insightful materials to discuss methodological challenges related to large-scale, automated shoreline monitoring, highlighting strengths and limitations of Sentinel-2- and Landsat-derived observations, beyond the sole coastal monitoring…

    Towards a global assessment of sandy shorelines: Systematic extraction and validation of optical satellite-derived coastal indicators at various sites · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Coastal and Marine Dynamics

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The dynamic nature of coastal environments, - The lack of high-quality topographic data, - The reliance on spectral standard deviation calculated within a moving window introduces a theoretical landward bias (“Coast-O-Matic: an automated shoreline detection method using PlanetScope…”, 2026); (2) The physical mechanisms governing wave energy dissipation and overtopping are not fully understood (“Analysis of wave overtopping and dissipation mechanisms on stepped coastal…”, 2026); (3) There is a need for accurate prediction of the geometry of ripples in seafloor microtopography (“A study on the dynamic changes in micro-geomorphology of sandy seafloor under…”, 2026); (4) There is a need to investigate the spatial variability of wave climate around Androth island (“Wave height variability and extreme wave height estimation at remote islands of…”, 2026); (5) The lack of comprehensive analysis of the complex interactions between hydrodynamic, fluvial, aeolian, and anthropogenic factors shaping the beach (“Geospatial analysis of the multidecadal and seasonal evolution of Sidi Rbat…”, 2026). 115 gap statements have been mined from Coastal and Marine Dynamics papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 1,083 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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