Port of Klaipėda is situated in a complex hydrological system, between the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea, at the Klaipėda strait in the South-Eastern part of the Baltic Sea. It has almost 300 m of jetties separating the Curonian Spit and the mainland coast, interrupting the main path of sediment transport through the South-Eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. Due to the Port of Klaipėda reconstruction in 2002 and the beach nourishment project, which was started in 2014, the shoreline position change tendency was observed. Shoreline position measurements of various periods can be used to derive quantitative estimates of coastal process directions and intensities. These data can be used to further our understanding of the scale and timing of shoreline changes in a geological and socio-economic context. This study analyzes long- and short-term shoreline position changes before and after the Port of Klaipėda reconstruction in 2002. Positions of historical shorelines from various sources were used, and the rates (EPR, NSM, and SCE) of shoreline changes have been assessed using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS). An extension of ArcGIS K-means clustering was applied for shoreline classification into different coastal dynamic stretches. Coastal development has changed in the long-term (1984–2019) perspective: the eroded coast length increased from 1.5 to 4.2 km in the last decades. Coastal accumulation processes have been restored by the Port of Klaipėda executing the coastal zone nourishment project in 2014.

Coastal regions of the Baltic Sea are among the most intensively used worldwide, resulting in a need for a holistic management approach. Therefore, there is a need for strategies that even out the seasonality, which would ensure a better utilization of natural resources and infrastructure and improve the social and economic conditions. To assess the effectiveness of coastal zone planning processes concerning sustainable tourism and to identify and substantiate significant physical geographical factors impacting the sustainability of South Baltic seaside resorts, several data sets from previous studies were compiled. Seeking to improve the coastal zone’s ecological sustainability, economic efficiency, and social equality, a qualitative study (content analysis of planning documents) and a quantitative survey of tourists’ needs expressed on a social media platform and in the form of a survey, as well as long-term hydrometeorological data, were used. Furthermore, a Bayesian Network framework was used to combine knowledge from these different sources. We present an approach to identifying the social, economic, and environmental factors influencing the sustainability of coastal resorts. The results of this study may be used to advise local governments on a broad spectrum of Integrated Coastal Management matters: planning the development of the beaches and addressing the seasonality of use, directing investments to improve the quality of the beaches and protect them from storm erosion, and maintaining the sand quality and beach infrastructure. The lessons learned can be applied to further coastal zone management research by utilizing stakeholders and expert opinion in quantified current beliefs.

The Port of Klaipėda, located at the Klaipėda strait, divides the Lithuanian coast into two different geomorphological parts: southern—the coast of the Curonian Spit, and northern—the mainland coast. Port jetties interrupt the main sediment transport path along the South-Eastern Baltic Sea’s coast. Port of Klaipėda reconstruction in 2002 and the beach nourishment project which started in 2014 significantly influenced the northern part of the coast, which led to changes in the coastal zone evolution. The measurements in various periods are essential for cross-shore profile elevation to analyze seabed morphology and sedimentation patterns. These data highlight our understanding of the scale and timing of seabed erosion or sedimentation processes scale and timing. This study evaluates the impact of anthropogenic pressure and natural factors on coastal geomorphology and dynamics. In order to assess the latter changes, the cross-shore profile evolution and sediment budget were analyzed as well as nearshore bathymetry changes. The data illustrated a changing picture of the entire shore profile—on land and underwater.

Healthy beaches are essential for managing the coastal zone, including growing coastal tourism, maintaining seaside property values, developing infrastructure, and sustaining coastal ecosystems and communities. Beaches worldwide face problems such as erosion and shoreline recession caused by both natural factors and anthropogenic pressures. Beach erosion is caused by short-term fluctuations such as storms or by longer-term processes related to sediment budget deficits, rising sea levels, and wave regime changes. Responsible beach management requires precise knowledge of the short-term fluctuations and long-term processes involved in coastal evolution in order to assess the risks to infrastructure and to identify acceptable weaknesses in future development or in coastal management. Knowledge of short- and long-term shoreline changes could also contribute to the design of beach nourishment plans so that human activities can be conducted consistent with natural processes rather than in conflict with them.

<p>The Baltic Sea is a semi-enclosed sea that connects with the Global ocean through the Danish straits. The Lithuanian coast of the Baltic Sea is a generic type of almost straight, relatively high-energy, actively developing coasts that (1) contain a large amount of finer, mobile sediment, (2) are open to predominating wind and wave directions, and (3) are exposed to waves from a wide range of directions.</p><p>The combination of angular wind distribution and coastal geometry is such that the longshore sediment transport caused by waves is, on average, to the north through the entire Curonian Spit and the mainland coast of Lithuania. This predominant sediment flow means that sediment availability or transportation changes in these areas significantly impact the sediment budget north of Klaipeda. While sediment flows along the spit predominantly occur under natural conditions, further sediment transport to Lithuania's mainland coast is obstructed by jetties and breakwaters of Klaipeda Port, out-flowing currents from Klaipeda Strait, dredging of the port entrance channel, and other factors.</p><p>Knowledge of the cross-shore distribution of longshore sediment transport in the surf zone is necessary to design and plan groins, jetties, weirs, and pipeline landfalls.</p><p>Accurate estimation of the longshore sediment transport distribution helps understand spit development, migration of sediments, natural or artificial, and the development of other coastal morphologic features.</p>