Our Mission

South Coast Engineers, LLC, a consulting firm based in Fairhope, Alabama, specializes in civil engineering in the coastal environment – coastal engineering, coastal management and applied coastal science. The firm performs services in the planning and design of bay and beach shoreline erosion solutions, coastal ecosystem restoration, coastal highways and bridges, coastal wave and circulation modeling, marina and port design, seawall and coastal revetment design, and hurricane damage analysis and prevention.

South Coast Engineers mission is to enhance the quality of life along the coast with engineering which appropriately accounts for the area’s unique waves, tides, sand, and ecosystems.

We work on projects around the world but focus on the US coastal states and island territories. We have developed much of the federal guidance on coastal engineering and coastal resilience for the planning, design, and operations of coastal roads and bridges. We do internationally-recognized work and would be a great choice for your coastal engineering needs.

Our Staff

Thomas "Beau" Buhring, PE

Beau Buhring is a Coastal Engineer at South Coast Engineers with graduate studies in Coastal Engineering at the University of South Alabama and 13 years of experience in coastal engineering including beach nourishment and coastal structures design/construction as well as numerical modeling of coastal hydrodynamics.

Licensure: FL

Bret M. Webb, PhD, PE, BC.CE

Bret Webb is the Vice President and Senior Coastal Engineer at South Coast Engineers. Dr. Webb has 20 years of experience in coastal engineering design, inspections, analysis, and field investigations, and is a nationally recognized leader in coastal modeling and coastal engineering technology transfer.

Licensure: AL, FL

Scott L. Douglass, PhD, PE, BC.CE

Scott Douglass is the Founder and President of South Coast Engineers, LLC. Dr. Douglass over 40 years of experience in coastal engineering research and design and is a nationally recognized leader in coastal engineering related to storm damage, coastal transportation projects, living shorelines, and beach erosion solutions.

Dr. Douglass is the author of Saving America’s Beaches.

Licensure: AL, FL, MS

Specialty Certification

Drs. Douglass and Webb are Board Certified Coastal Engineers (BC.CE), a specialty certification conferred by the Academy of Coastal, Ocean, Port & Navigation Engineers (ACOPNE), a part of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Board-certified coastal, ocean, port and navigation engineers demonstrate expertise in specific coastal, ocean, port, and navigation engineering areas and a commitment to staying up to date with new technology. This certification reflects a strong dedication to professionalism, ethics, and continuous professional development.