AUTHOR=Villate-Daza Diego Andrés , Barboza-Pinzon Eduardo Guimarães , Jigena-Antelo Bismarck , Muñoz-Perez Juan José , Anfuso Giorgio , Portz Luana Carla , Afanador-Franco Fernando , Manzolli Rogério Portantiolo 

TITLE=Coastal dynamics and geomorphology of the Pozos Colorados sector, Santa Marta: an analysis of sea level rise and paleo-shoreline

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1700038

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2025.1700038

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=IntroductionWe assess how inherited subsurface architecture and human interventions control recent shoreline change and vulnerability in Pozos Colorados (Santa Marta, Colombian Caribbean).      MethodsWe integrated geomorphological mapping, multi-decadal shoreline extraction with CoastSat (1986–2024; EPR), Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) profiles, paleoshoreline detection from high-resolution DEM, and paleo/future sea-level scenarios.   ResultsNet shoreline retreat averaged ~–2.0 m yr⁻¹ (max erosion in 1986–1996; localized accretion after 2021), linked to sediment budget shifts and engineering structures. GPR reveals erosional surfaces/terraces guiding present morphodynamics. Paleo sea-level highstands (MIS5e +6 m; mid-Holocene +3 m) and a 2100 SLR scenario overlap low-lying inherited surfaces.DiscussionCoupling surface (CoastSat) and subsurface (GPR) evidence clarifies multi-scale controls on instability and maps exposure hotspots, supporting ecosystem-based, adaptive coastal management in this urbanizing sector.