Research has suggested that the concept of “hard” coastal bank protection (e.g., rock revetments, concrete or sheetpile seawalls) actually increases the rate of beach erosion. Storm-driven waves and surf hit the hard structures and reflect back towards the ocean, removing beach sand in the process. Such research has lead to the creation of the field of “soft” structures. The advantage of a soft structure is that they absorb the impact of storm-driven waves. This reduces the degree of wave reflection and thus beach erosion. Regulatory authorities prefer soft structures in most situations due to the reduced rate of beach erosion.