Oceanic Gyre

A very large, more or less circular, pattern of water circulation in an open ocean basin.

Glossary of Terms

The rush of water up the foreshore following the breaking of a wave, also called swash or run up.

A phenomenon in which corals under stress (e.g., by elevated water temperature) expel their symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) in large numbers, or the concentration of algal photosynthetic pigments decreases. As a result, the corals' white skeletons show through their tissue and they appear bleached.

Washover

Sediment deposited inland of a beach by over wash processes. Water depth - distance between the seabed and the still water level.

Littoral Transport

The movement of beach material in the littoral zone by waves and currents. Includes movement parallel (longshore drift) and sometimes perpendicular (cross-shore transport) to the shore; Also referred to as littoral drift.

Polluter-pays Principle

The principle adopted by the OECD countries in 1972, requires that the polluter should bear the costs that pollution damage or pollution control impose upon society.

Integrated Coastal Management (ICM)

The management of sectoral components (e.g., fisheries, forestry, agriculture, tourism, urban development) as part of a functional whole (a holistic approach to management). In ICM the focus is on the users of natural resources, not on the stock per se of these resources. Frequently used synonyms for ICM are integrated coastal area management (ICAM) and integrated coastal zone management (ICZM).

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Oceanic Gyre