InTeGrate Modules and Courses >Coastal Processes, Hazards and Society > Student Materials > Module 3: Coastal Systems: Landscapes and Processes > Barrier Islands > Future of Barrier Islands
InTeGrate's Earth-focused Modules and Courses for the Undergraduate Classroom
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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
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These student materials complement the Coastal Processes, Hazards and Society Instructor Materials. If you would like your students to have access to the student materials, we suggest you either point them at the Student Version which omits the framing pages with information designed for faculty (and this box). Or you can download these pages in several formats that you can include in your course website or local Learning Managment System. Learn more about using, modifying, and sharing InTeGrate teaching materials.

Future of Barrier Islands

In recent years, there have been numerous studies investigating how barrier island systems respond to change in sea level and impacts created by storms as they erode sediment and destroy coastal property. Because barrier islands form a true barrier along many inhabited coastal zones, they represent a line of defense for inland communities from the destructive power of storm surges and waves that are driven by large storms. Unfortunately, however, there are global trends in barrier size reduction because of reduced sediment input caused by damming rivers, human modifications to coastal systems, storm driven erosion, and relative sea level rise.


These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »