Tetrapod

Concrete armor unit with four stubby legs, used on breakwaters and seawalls to dissipate wave energy.

Glossary of Terms

An intense tropical cyclone in which winds tend to spiral inward toward a core of low pressure, with maximum surface wind velocities that equal or exceed 33.5 m/sec (75 mph or 65 knots) for several minutes or longer at some points.

Tropical storm is the term applied if maximum winds are less than 33.5 m/sec but greater than a whole gale (63 mph or 55 knots). Term is used in the Atlantic , Gulf of Mexico , and eastern Pacific.

Photomosaic

An assemblage of photographs, each of which shows part of a region, put together in such a way that each point in the region appears once and only once in the assemblage, and scale variation is minimised.

Fringing Reef

A coral reef attached directly to an insular or continental shore. There may be a shallow channel or lagoon between the reef and the adjacent mainland.

Washover

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

Port

A place where vessels may discharge or receive cargo; it may be the entire harbour including its approaches and anchorages, or only the commercial part of a harbour where the quays, wharves, facilities for transfer of cargo, docks, and repair shops are situated. Protection may be provided by natural or artificial features.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

A process by which the consequences of planned development projects are evaluated as an integral part of planning the project.

The analysis of biological, physical, social and economic factors to determine the environmental and social consequences of a proposed development action. The goal of the EIA is to provide policy makers with the best available information in order to minimize economic costs and maximize benefits associated with a proposed development.

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Tetrapod