SANTA MONICA, Calif. — After a portion of the Santa Cruz wharf collapsed, oceanologists are now imploring local governments to renew investments in the structural integrity of these prime tourist areas, as they say ocean waves will only continue to grow stronger each year.

Santa Cruz officials said that crews were repairing damage to a portion of the 110-year-old wharf from past winter storms and that historic swells, unseen in 30 years, caused the collapse.

The waves will only continue to get larger and stronger across the state, says UC Santa Cruz Professor Gary Griggs.

The expert on coastal engineering and hazards says the last three winters have brought unusually high surf in coast communities.

“I don’t think we can any longer see this as something that’s going to happen every 100 years,” he said. “It’s now happened three years in a row. I’m not going to predict the future, but all the signs of climate change are larger waves, stronger winds. So I don’t think it should be a surprise to see these events occurring. You don’t know exactly when they’re going to occur, but the trend is towards more challenges when we’ve built right at the edge [of the ocean].”