Ocean City, Maryland

Oblique view of the highly developed barrier beach at Ocean City. The dunes that once protected the island have been removed to improve the view, and the tall apartment buildings are so close to the water's edge that the beach is shadowed by midafternoon. Many of these buildings were damanged by flooding immediately after their construction. Beach replenishment along Fenwick Island in 1988 and 1990 by the State of Maryland and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is designed to provide some temporary protection to the buildings and to increase the recreational value of the beach.