The Dunedin City Council will start collecting data from the St Clair and Middle beaches next month.
The beaches were subject to heavy erosion of sand last July, leading to public hearings by the council earlier this year to try to develop an effective response to the problem.
Remedial work has continued on the beach since last July as more erosion occurred.
The council already has spent more than $1 million to combat the disappearing sand.
After the hearings concluded in April, the council decided to gather data from the sites for the next year and then form a special project team, which will hopefully come up with solutions.
Council parks and reserves team leader Martin Thompson said the council had set aside $335,000, on top of the money already spent, for the work.
He said no solutions had been set in place.
The council would carry out a topographical survey on the beach and dunes as well as doing a seabed survey, about 2km offshore.
The survey would be done using sonar equipment.
Two cameras would be sited at the beach, although their exact locations had yet to be determined.
The cameras would take photos hourly, and should be able to detect rip patterns and determine sediment characteristics.
Shoreline variations over time would be analysed through aerial photography, which dated back to 1942.
The council would have to establish how far back the rubble left at the beach went. Erosion last year exposed old construction rubbish dumped at the beaches more than 50 years ago.
He said this might require digging holes further inland, including at Kettle Park, although the holes would be small.
Computer models would be used for wave refraction, sediment-transport modelling and storm response.
Future shoreline evolution would be studied so proposals that were suggested were workable and would not damage the beach.
The study would also look at where sand could be sourced in future.
Sand from the Otago Harbour, from the dredge New Era, has been used so far.
