The Coastal Scenery of São Miguel Island, Azores Archipelago: Implications for Coastal Management

• Published in: Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
• Main Authors: Tendero Peiró, Claudia, Asensio-Montesinos, Francisco, Anfuso, Giorgio, Corbí, Hugo
• Other Authors: Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra y del Medio Ambiente, Cambios Paleoambientales
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI 2024
• Subjects: Coastal geomorphology; Beach; Coastal Scenic Evaluation System (CSES); Remote islands; Atlantic Ocean; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10045/142543; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12050707

In this study, coastal scenic beauty was assessed at 29 sites at São Miguel, which is one of the Azores Islands, i.e., a group of remote volcanic islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. The assessment was based on in situ observations and the use of the Coastal Scenic Evaluation System (CSES), which consists of a checklist with 26 physical- and anthropic-weighted parameters and the Fuzzy Logic Approach (FLA) mathematical tool. The study sites were classified into five classes according to their typology and their scenic value, ranging from Class I (natural sites of great scenic beauty) to Class V (unattractive, urbanized sites). Concerning beach typology, 13% were remote, 28% rural, 28% village, and 31% urban. Concerning scenic beauty, 10% of the sites belonged to Class I, 14% to Class II, 17% to Class III, 31% to Class IV, and 28% to Class V. The physical parameters were linked to the characteristics of the geological volcanic landscapes, and the anthropic parameters essentially reflected the presence of tourism and public services. The results of the assessment provide a scientific basis for developing a management strategy for the preservation and conservation of the coastal areas and their sustainable development. This work was supported by the Paleoenvironmental Changes research group (vigrob-167) of the University of Alicante and the PAI Research Group RNM-373 of Andalusia (Spain).