About the Project

Waves are known to have a wide range of effects on shorelines and nearshore ecosystems. As development around water bodies continues to increase, environmental professionals are increasingly asked to answer questions, provide guidance, and make suggestions about shoreline management. It is recognized that waves, either man made through boat wakes or natural through wind-waves, are a major driver of shoreline erosion and, subsequently, shoreline management decision-making.

Wave climate (i.e., the magnitude and frequency of various wave events) is often assessed using wind-wave models or wave gauges. Wave models utilize environmental measurements to estimate wave climates. However, these wind-wave models do not capture the contribution of boating activity to the wave climate. Wave gauges allow for field measurements that incorporate all contributing factors of wave activity. However, the utilization of wave gauges by environmental professionals has largely been inhibited by the cost of commercial wave gauges.