Coastal Erosion - Prince Edward Island

Coastal erosion is the process that removes shoreline material, causing the coastline to retreat inland. The coastal landscape of Prince Edward Island is identified as a region sensitive to sea-level rise. Systematic measurements for coastal erosion were carried out between 2007-2010 using ground surveyed reference transects and shoreline coordinates. The most recent analyses of coastal erosion (2010-2012) uses a remote sensing approach with shoreline positions digitized on high resolution ortho-photos and satellite images. Differences between shoreline positions are measured at 2 m intervals along a baseline transect and averaged to obtain an overall erosion rate for sandstone and till substrate types. These data are used to determine if the erosion rates for sandstone and till coastal shorelines of PEI National Park are within the expected historical range and if this rate has remained stable over time.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

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Last Updated April 17, 2026, 17:44 (UTC)
Created April 17, 2026, 17:44 (UTC)
contact_email Paul.giroux@pc.gc.ca
contact_person {}
criticality_level ["educators", "nongovernmental_organizations", "scientists", "students"]
data_dictionary []
geographic_scope ["11"]
open_canada_collection primary
open_canada_date_published 2017-10-01 00:00:00
open_canada_keywords {"fr": ["Parc national de l’Î.-P.-É.", "littoral", "érosion", "changement climatique", "processus littoraux"], "en": ["PEI National Park", "coastal", "erosion", "climate change", "shoreline processes"]}
open_canada_subject ["nature_and_environment"]
sensitivity_level unrestricted
title_fr Érosion côtière – Île-du-Prince-Édouard
update_frequency as_needed