Understanding coastal protection by gravel barriers in a changing climate : Rapid Evidence Assessment

Biausque, M.; Tappin, D.; Morgan, D.; Banks, V.

Understanding coastal protection by gravel barriers in a changing climate : Rapid Evidence Assessment

Biausque, M.; Tappin, D.; Morgan, D.; Banks, V.. 2025 Understanding coastal protection by gravel barriers in a changing climate : Rapid Evidence Assessment. Nottingham, UK, British Geological Survey, 46pp. (OR/25/043) (Unpublished)

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Abstract/Summary

This report presents the outputs of a Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) conducted as part of the UKGravelBarriers project, a major research initiative led by the British Geological Survey. The REA was designed to provide decision-makers with structured, evidence-based insights into the morphodynamics and future evolution of gravel barrier systems, supporting more informed and sustainable coastal management in the face of climate change. The report outlines the scope of the UKGravelBarriers project, introduces the key research questions, and details the REA methodology, which follows a rigorously defined protocol. A notable innovation in this assessment is the integration of Large Language Models (LLMs), which were applied at multiple stages of the process. These models were used to efficiently screen a substantial body of literature, including peer-reviewed publications, PhD theses, and technical reports, and to extract relevant data addressing each research question. To ensure reliability, a validation exercise was conducted by comparing AI-assisted screening with manual review for two of the research questions. While the validation highlighted certain limitations in the use of AI for literature screening, the approach proved highly effective in identifying key evidence within large datasets, significantly reducing the time and effort required by traditional methods. The Results and Discussion section provides a transparent overview of the REA process, including statistics on the literature examined and flow diagrams illustrating each step. It also reflects on the limitations encountered and concludes with insights into the potential of LLMs to enhance future evidence assessments in environmental research.

Item Type:

Publication - Report

Funders/Sponsors:

British Geological Survey

Additional Information:

This item has been internally reviewed, but not externally peer-reviewed.

Date made live:

03 Nov 2025 11:51 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/540487