Was erosion created by man?

Here's a short little consideration for the conscience...

The definition of erosion on the Surfrider Foundation's website is as follows:

Erosion: Physical removal of sand from the beach which is transported offshore, alongshore, or into bays and lagoons via inlets. Erosion results in shoreline recession—landward retreat of a shoreline indicator such as the high water line, vegetation line or dune line. Opposite of accretion.

Pretty basic...waves crash on beach...sand gets carried out to sea...sand travels with current...sand lands back on beach somewhere else (eventually).

So the question is simple; Was erosion a problem prior to development along our coasts?

I really believe that erosion solely exists in the mind of mankind, and unfortunately it has become an ridiculously expensive and often contentious issue in our modern society.

Let's consider the following so-called solutions for coastal erosion.

• Beach Nourishment - pumping sand from off-shore back to the beach (over and over and over and over and over...) This is exceptionally expensive, and seems a lot like fighting a forest fire with a garden hose.
  

• Shoreline Armoring - piling a lot of rocks in one place to protect an area only to rob sand from another place and allow erosion there
  

• Coastal Engineering - I do not believe that humans have ever created an ocean and/or beach.
  

"Roll on, deep and dark blue ocean, roll. Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain. Man marks the earth with ruin, but his control stops with the shore. " ---Lord Byron

Look, listen, feel, (and leave only footprints in the sand, not foundations),
Ostrich