January 07, 2005 —
Tsunami researcher José Borrero of USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering and his
colleagues from other institutions will address the science, economics and coastal
zone management of surfing at this year’s 4th International Surfing Reef Symposium,
to be held Jan. 12-14 in Manhattan Beach, CA.
Co-hosted by USC and The Surfrider Foundation, this unique biennial conference
will bring together oceanographers, engineers, coastal zone managers and surfers
from around the world to discuss a variety of topics that are vital to the health
and preservation of Southern California’s coastal environment. Sessions will
include natural and artificial surfing reefs, reef preservation, human impacts
on surf zone environment and the economy of surfing.
Borrero, an assistant research professor in the department of civil and environmental
engineering, co-organized the symposium along with Surfrider Foundation’s Chad
Nelsen. Borrero is a tsunami researcher who is currently surveying the devastation
in Banda Aceh, northern Sumatra, near the epicenter of the Dec. 26, 2004 underwater
earthquake and tsunami.
“Our goal in hosting this symposium is to continue a trend that began with Kimo
Walker in the 1970’s,” Borrero said. “Though still in its infancy, there is a
growing interest in better understanding the science, economics and management
of surfing. The purpose of this conference is to advance the scientific understanding
of how waves break; specifically the types of waves ridden in recreational surfing.”
|
Jose Borrero with local guides in Papua, New Guinea, surveying the effects of
a tsunami in September 2002. |
More than 25 papers will be presented at the conference, as well as a variety
of planned presentations and discussions on such topics as existing reef projects
(monitoring and performance), design and proposed reef projects, studies on natural
surf breaks, and the future of surfing science, research needs and goals.
Highlights of the symposium will include a discussion of the lessons learned
from the Pratte’s Reef project in El Segundo, CA, and results of four years of
monitoring an artificial reef in Narrowneck, Australia. Additional discussions
will address the future of other artificial reefs, such as the reef planned for
Oil Piers in Ventura Beach, CA.
The symposium will be held at the Joslyn Community Center, located at 1601 Valley
Drive in Manhattan Beach, CA. For more information or to register for the event,
go to http://www.surfrider.org/reef4.
--Diane Ainsworth
