Sediment movements in the southern North Sea influence the eastern English coastline by supplying or removing beach material. It is important to understand these movements thoroughly so as to improve the data on which Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) and the assessment of dredging licence applications are based.

The first step in such a process is to identify sediment sources and volumes, transport pathways and areas of deposition. Data can then be used to update current SMPs, as well as allowing a more informed assessment to be made of the influence of offshore dredging around the eastern coast of England. With a fuller understanding of sediment movements and processes it should become easier to manage beaches and coastal defences, the coastline, and sediment resources offshore in an informed fashion.