With CoastSnap everyone can be a scientist – it's as easy as snap, share, see.

The coast is a naturally changing environment.

These changes can be driven by currents, waves and tides, changes in coastal vegetation and changes in sediment supply, among other things. All of these can occur naturally, and some as a result of human actions.

Climate change also drives change in our coastlines by causing sea levels to rise and increasing the frequency and severity of storm events.

To help understand our changing coastlines, we are working with Environment Canterbury and the University of Canterbury to deliver the CoastSnap project in Christchurch. CoastSnap is a community science initiative designed by the Water Research laboratory at the University of New South Wales in Australia.

At CoastSnap photo points, you can take photos of the coastline with the same viewpoint as others in the community and send them to our database. These images can then be overlain and analysed to show the change that occurs over time, which will help us better understand and manage our coastal environment.

Snap to be a part of our district’s future. 

Helping coastal monitoring is as easy as snap, share, see. Simply travel to a CoastSnap spot and follow the instructions below.

New Brighton Pier

Two photo points are located on either side of the pier, looking north and south along the beach.

Rapanui - Shag Rock

Found near a beach access point along the Coastal Pathway next to Shag Rock.

Te Onepoto - Taylors Mistake

Located a short way up the Awaroa/Godley Head Loop Track.

Motu-kauati-iti - Corsair Bay

Located on the western side of the bay near the start of the walkway to Motu-kauati-rahi – Cass Bay.

Contributing to coastal science is as easy as snap, share, see. Simply travel to a CoastSnap location and follow the instructions below.

Contribute to CoastSnap

1. Snap

Firstly, take a snap on your phone by placing it sideways in one of the photo point cradles located around our city's coastline.

Here are some handy tips to make sure your images are useful:

  • Place your phone or tablet snuggly up against the left edge of the photo point cradle.
  • Avoid using filters.
  • No need to zoom.

2. Share

Simply share it to the CoastSnap app, coastsnapchch@ccc.govt.nz, or Instagram with the hashtag shown on the sign.

If uploading through social media, then make sure you include the time and date the photo was taken in the caption and keep the original shape of the photo.

3. See

Lastly, view the other photos people have posted on our website or by searching the following hashtags on Instagram:

  • #coastsnapbrightonnth
  • #coastsnapbrightonsth
  • #coastsnapshagrock
  • #coastsnaptaylors
  • #coastsnapcorsair

1. Snap

Firstly, take a snap on your phone by placing it sideways in one of the photo point cradles located around our city's coastline.

Here are some handy tips to make sure your images are useful:

  • Place your phone or tablet snuggly up against the left edge of the photo point cradle.
  • Avoid using filters.
  • No need to zoom.

2. Share

Simply share it to the CoastSnap app, coastsnapchch@ccc.govt.nz, or Instagram with the hashtag shown on the sign.

If uploading through social media, then make sure you include the time and date the photo was taken in the caption and keep the original shape of the photo.

3. See

Lastly, view the other photos people have posted on our website or by searching the following hashtags on Instagram:

  • #coastsnapbrightonnth
  • #coastsnapbrightonsth
  • #coastsnapshagrock
  • #coastsnaptaylors
  • #coastsnapcorsair

CoastSnap images will allow us to capture how our dynamic coastal environments are influenced by the changing climate, as well as currents, waves and tides, changes in coastal vegetation and changes in the supply of sediment.

These factors lead to erosion and accretion cycles (where the beaches build up and erode away) that will be visible through CoastSnap images taken over time.

Once collated, images sent in by the community can be analysed to measure change and help increase our understanding of what makes certain coastal areas more dynamic or resilient than others. Below illustrates the change we can see from last year’s CoastSnap contributions in 2024.

Our beaches sure have changed a lot.

With the help of a few 20th and 19th-century photographers, we're able to look back and view some of the major changes our beaches have gone through. 

Sumner Beach