research paper

Plum Island Residents Fighting a Losing Battle Throughout history man has built homes along the shorelines of the sea. We built fishing villages to provide sustenance to our people. Life on the seacoast has shifted from one of necessity of sustainability to one of luxury. Though some local people still making a living by harvesting the fruit of the sea these folks are far from living in the lap of luxury. The fact is the “average” person cannot afford to build an oceanfront home. Many of these homes are built for people who love to be near the ocean because it is indeed a beautiful place to live. They have the financial capabilities to build oceanfront and they do so for their own personal pleasures whatever they may be. Imagine building your dream home just a stone’s throw from the sea. The natural beauty of the ocean is appealing to just about everyone. To afford the ability of waking up to such a setting every day is a dream for many of us. I wonder do these privileged few take into consideration the fact that they are living on the edge of an ecosystem so vast and powerful that its beauty is rivaled only by its capacity for devastation and destruction under the right conditions. Hell hath no fury like Mother Nature on a rampage and every New Englander knows the weather here can in fact be hellacious. Unpredictability is the hallmark of New England weather and makes living on the seacoast exciting as you never know what you’re going to be facing from day to day. Many people who inhabit the oceanfront enjoy watching the sea churning and whipping up a good storm. I frequent the beach myself during such storms as it’s exciting to watch and the fresh ocean smell is invigorating to me. Personally I would never build oceanfront as it is more appealing to me to have a natural and pristine coastline. Oceanfront residents of Plum Island in Newbury, Massachusetts are locked in a losing battle against Mother Nature. The choice to build oceanfront homes for some