State, Local, Tribal government completes survey

iCoast—Did the Coast Change?
Appendix to Supporting Statement A

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Tool Tips in iCoast
Throughout the iCoast website users can hover their cursor over images, buttons or drop
down menus to view explanations and definitions of the iCoast features. Known as “Tool Tips”,
these explanations guide the user through iCoast or provide easily viewed definitions and
examples of features found along the coast.

Inlet

Menu

Inlet Select image
Progress Bar

Image Zoom

Additionally, if the user hovers over an image during the
tagging tasks, a zoom tool appears allowing the user to zoom
into or out of the image using their scroll wheel to inspect
details not visible in the presented pair.
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Figure 1. Choose a Project and Photo. Users are presented with an image to classify. By clicking on the “check”
symbol users select the image presented. They may alternately select a new random image by clicking on the
“die” symbol, or click on the “map” symbol, then navigate to an area of interest and select an image there.

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Figure 2. Match Coastal Photos. Once the image is selected, the user is presented with a computer-generated
match of a pre-storm image and three alternate pre-storm images to either side of the selected match. The
user may accept the computer-generated match or select from the alternate images if a better match is
available. The user may also mark the image as “No Match Found” or “Flag as Unsuitable” if no match is
available. Selecting either of these two red buttons alerts the iCoast administrators. The image will either be
removed from iCoast, or an experienced classifier will complete the tagging.
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Figure 3. Task 1: Identify Coastal Landscape. Users can select a type of coastline and the level of development.

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Tool Tips for Task 1: Identify Coastal Landscape

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What type of coastline do you see in the PRE-storm photo?
(choose any that apply)
Barrier Island: Elongated narrow islands with sandy beaches that run parallel to the mainland separated by a body of
water like a marsh, bay or lagoon (use map above to look for water behind the coast).
Mainland: Sandy beaches connected to the mainland and often backed by dunes, marshes, or human infrastructure.
Bluff-Backed: A beach backed by steep cliffs or bluffs often made up of loose sediment.
Inlet: An opening or gap in the coastline that leads to an enclosed body of water.
What is the level of development?
Choose multiple levels if necessary.
(choose any that apply)
Undeveloped: Natural coastal ecosystems like dunes, coastal vegetation, and marshes are more prominent with little or
no human infrastructure visible.
Moderate: Moderately developed coast with sparse concentration of houses, residential complexes, and/or hotels; some
commercial development and tourism infrastructure may be visible.
Heavy: Heavily developed area with a dense concentration of houses, residential complexes, and/or hotels; extensive
commercial development; substantial tourism infrastructure.

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Figure 4. Task 2: Determine Impacts to Coastal Infrastructure. Users first select the infrastructure seen in
the pre-storm image. Users then select infrastructure they see damaged in the post-storm image.
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Tool Tips for Task 2: Determine Impacts to Coastal Infrastructure
What infrastructure do you see in the PRE-storm photo?
(choose any that apply)
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None
Seawall: An artificial wall or protective structure built parallel to the shoreline to prevent the sea from eroding the coast
Jetty / Groin: Coastal engineering structures built perpendicular to the coast to interrupt water flow or trap migrating sand
Roadway: Paved roads and parking lots
Buildings: Houses, residential complexes, tourism and commercial infrastructure
Bridge: A transportation infrastructure built to create a passageway over a body of water
Pier: A raised platform supported by pilings or stilts built perpendicular to the coast
Walkway: A boardwalk built parallel to the beach, or a walkover with a raised path for walking over dunes to access the
beach
Sand Fence: A fence used to force windblown sand to accumulate in a certain area and stabilize dunes

What infrastructure is damaged in the POST-storm photo?
(choose any that apply)
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None
Seawall: The wall is damaged or exposed
Jetty / Groin: Coastal engineering structures are more exposed or eroding
Roadway: Inaccessible roads or parking lots covered by sand or damaged by storm surge waters
Buildings: Damaged or missing houses, residential complexes, tourism and commercial infrastructures; they may be buried
by sand or pilings might be exposed
Bridge: Damaged or impassable bridge that may affect transportation
Pier: Damaged or missing platform exposing the pilings or stilts of the pier
Walkway: Damaged, missing, or shorter boardwalks or walkovers covered by sand
Sand Fence: Missing or destroyed fence where posts from fence are more exposed

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Figure 5: Task 3: Specify Changes to Coastal Landforms. For each coastal change regime category (right side),
the tags are grouped by color to aid the user in understanding the relationship between the tags and the
coastal change regime categories. The user is then asked to identify the most dominant coastal change that
explains the changes observed in the post-storm photo.
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Tool Tips for Task 3: Specify Changes to Coastal Landforms
What storm-driven changes do you see for each coastal change process?
(choose any that apply)
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Beach Erosion
– Less Sand: Less sand creating a narrower beach
– Dark Sand: Darker sand made up of coarser, heavier, or wet sediment on the beach
– Beach Scarp: A steep perpendicular slope of sand on beach

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Dune Erosion
– Dune Scarp: A steep perpendicular slope of sand along the base of dunes
– Leveled Dune: Flattened dunes or mounds of sand wiped out
– Less Vegetation: Vegetation on dunes is missing or buried, but vegetation change may be seasonal

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Overwash
– Sand Deposit Inland: Sand deposited onshore landward overtopping dunes or in low lying areas
– Sand on Roads: Sand covering roadways and parking lots
– Sand in Marsh: Sand deposited in marsh or back bay behind barrier island

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Inundation
– Breach: A new channel of water creating an inlet or gap in the barrier island
– Standing Water: A pool of water inland in areas that are typically dry or new pools of water in marshes
– Dead Vegetation: Brown, damaged, or stripped vegetation from high winds or storm surge, but vegetation change
may be seasonal

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Tool Tips for Task 3: Specify Changes to Coastal Landforms
(Continued)

Which coastal change process is most dominant in the POST-storm photo?
(choose one)
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No Change: No significant change is visible. PRE-storm photo may show more storm-driven changes than POST-storm photo.
Beach Erosion: Beach erosion is a process that occurs when there are scarps along the beach, dark or heavier sediment on
the beach, or less sand creating narrower beaches.
Dune Erosion: Dune erosion is a process that occurs when waves and storm surge flow higher than the base of dunes along
the coast erode resulting in smaller dunes, scarps along the base of the dune, or less vegetation.
Overwash: Overwash is a process that occurs when waves and storm surge overtop or go around dunes or low lying areas
depositing sand inland from beaches onto roads or in marshes.
Inundation: Inundation is a process that occurs when storm water floods the beach and areas that are normally dry causing
breaches, standing water inland, and brown vegetation

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Figure 6. Task 4: Indicate Other Changes. Users can select features that may have been seen in the
photographs, but have not had the opportunity to tag during previous tasks. Additionally, there is space to
enter comment.

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Tool Tips for Task 4: Indicate Other Changes
Do you see any of these features in the POST-storm photo?
(choose any that apply)
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None
More Sand: More sand, wider beaches, or higher dunes in POST-storm photo. Sand eroded during the storm may also return
and attach itself along the beach after storms creating tidal pools on the beach.
More Vegetation: Vegetation appears to be more dense in the POST-storm photo
Marsh Erosion: Typically occurs on wetland coastlines exposed to an open body of water causing erosion of wetland soil
and standing water in marsh
Backwash: Storm surge water receded from backside of narrow barrier islands depositing sand and water seaward or
widening channels in marshes
More Development: New infrastructure in POST-storm photo that is not in PRE-storm photo
Construction Activity: Tractors or bulldozers on the beach and near roads moving sand and debris
Piles of Sand: Piles of sand removed from roadways or for replenishing beaches
Piles of Debris: Cleanup efforts are visible through organized piles of rubble

Are there other coastal changes you see or additional information you know about this coast? [Comment Box]

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