350 MORENO-EGEL.cdr Page 1 INTRODUCTION ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING Coastal erosion, partially due to rising sea levels, is often exacerbated by human interference that disrupts the natural sediment transport processes along the coastline. A typical example of a highly developed coastal region is along the Caribbean coast, where coastal tourism is one of the most important sources of income for the local population. It is not unusual for such development to take place without prior environmental impact studies. In order to assess the