The study looked at how beaches and shorelines in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties have changed over 70 years. They found that beach widths have gone up and down instead of just getting narrower due to less sand. The shoreline changes were different between wet/dry areas and back beaches, especially where there were structures to stop erosion. During El Niño events, beaches tended to shift in a predictable way. This pattern was also seen in long-term shoreline changes, suggesting that El Niños can have a big impact on how the coast evolves over time.