Since the 1990s, the existence of erosional hot spots (EHSs) has been recognized and studied. Although an appropriate definition of EHSs is still somewhat under discussion, for purposes here they are defined as areas that erode significantly more rapidly than the adjacent beaches. Through more thorough design and analysis with available methods, some potential erosion hot spots can be identified and prevented.
URL: From http://www3.csc.noaa.gov

The causes and what can be done to prevent erosion on beaches is described in general in specific reference to US beaches.
URL: http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/listsocialstr.html

Definition and short description of coastal erosion from Wikipedia.
URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastal_erosion

Description from The National Sea Grant Network Web Site for Coastal Natural Hazards Information.
URL: http://www.haznet.org/haz_hazards/hazard_erosion.htm