"As rising sea levels eat away at the California coastline over the next century, the advancing ocean could cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to beach communities as tourism and tax revenue is swept away, according to a state-commissioned study released Tuesday."

"As climate change warms and expands the ocean, increased storm damage and erosion will narrow the state's beaches and diminish their appeal to both tourists and wildlife, economists at San Francisco State predict.

'You need a certain amount of space for people to recreate, and, as beaches erode, you lose beach size and you lose tourism,' said study author Phillip King, associate professor of economics at San Francisco State.

The study, commissioned by the California Department of Boating and Waterways, looked at five California beach communities, using sea-level-rise projections to estimate economic losses from flooding and beach erosion."

Tony Barboza reports for the Los Angeles Times September 14, 2011. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"See That Multimillion-Dollar Malibu Beach Home? Come 2100, It Could Be Submerged in the Pacific" (LAist) [3]

"Rising Seas Expected To Wash Out Key California Beaches" (Reuters) [4]