Shoreline displacements are due to physical, anthropogenic and environmental factors such climate change. Remote sensing has become an essential tool for monitoring shoreline changes and understanding the physical processes in the coastal environment. However, ground truthing is necessary in order to detect the limits of sea-level inundation and /or wave run up. Within the framework of the THALES-DAPHNE project, we have initiated an investigation regarding the reflectance properties and spectral signatures of various samples of dry and wet beach sands. To this end, spectral reflectance characteristics for a collection of sand samples from various Hellenic beaches have been measured in the laboratory under dry and wet conditions. In addition ongoing field measurements are in process along the beach face of the delta of the River Pinios, that debouches at the NW coast of the microtidal Aegean Sea.