An RFID Based System for the Underwater Tracking of Pebbles on Artificial Coarse Beaches

Coastal erosion represents one of the most significant environmental emergencies, due to the fact that it affects locations distributed all over the world, including tourist sites and urban centers. Several solutions have been studied during the last years, including the use of gravel beaches as shore protections against the effects of waves. These solutions seem to provide a good protection, but efficient studies on the movement of sediments are very difficult to be performed due to the absence of effective technical solutions. In this article we propose the use of RFID automatic identification technology to keep trace of single pebbles shifting on a gravel beach. The tracking operations are made possible in the sea as well as on the beach providing a tool to perform accurate and global studies on the dynamics of artificial coarse beaches for what concerns both its under and outside water sectors.