Commentary: Lesson from Tunisia: Curb coastal erosion — stop building along Southern California beaches

After I returned from a long and demanding scientific expedition in the coastal areas of North Africa, my colleague took me for a walk on Corona del Mar State Beach in Southern California. A few steps in, he started recalling 15-year-old memories of the beach and how it has changed since. The beach seemed to be disappearing because of sea level rise, he said.

Many people make that observation, but from research I helped conduct