Help researchers record the changes to our coasts

Christchurch City Council wants people to help it record the changing face of the city’s coastlines.

Since May 2021, three CoastSnap locations have been operational – two on the New Brighton Pier, and one at Taylors Mistake – but participation has been modest.

Under the CoastSnap programme, citizen scientists take photos of the coast and submit them to researchers at the council and Environment Canterbury. It’s hoped that enough images will be submitted over time to allow the researchers to track changes to the coast.

To ensure that photos are identically framed, a device called a cradle has been installed at each location. People place their smartphones or tablets in the cradles, which ensure that each photo captures the same stretch of coast – making comparisons more useful.

But participation in the programme has been slight enough that the council commissioned senior undergraduates from the University of Canterbury to write a report suggesting ways to improve engagement and coastal knowledge.

The tech-savvy students recommended more public education on changes to coasts, including through Surf Life Saving NZ, better social media posts on CoastSnap, and better signs at the cradles.

The council had taken these suggestions on board, said John Higgins, head of planning and consents.

There are two CoastSnap cradles on the pier, once facing north and the other south, and since May 2021, 395 images have been submitted from them. The cradle at Taylors – overlooking the beach from the walking track south to Godley Head – has generated 99 snaps.

A cradle installed at Rapanui-Shag Rock in November 2022 has resulted in 37 images. A fifth cradle will be installed at Corsair Bay this month or during July.

Photographers can share photos through the CoastSnap app, or by email or on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, using the recommended hashtags.

‘‘CoastSnap images will allow us to capture how our dynamic coastal environments are influenced by the changing climate as well as currents, waves and tides, changes in coastal vegetation, and changes in the supply of sediment,’’ said the council.