Glossary of Terms

The deposition of sediment, sometimes indicated by the seaward advance of a shoreline indicator such as the water line, the berm crest, or the vegetation line.

The portion of the littoral system that is frequently (daily or at least seasonally) subject to transport by wind, waves, and currents.

A sudden increase in the amount of marine algae (seaweed) often caused by high levels of phosphates, nitrates, and other nutrients in the nearshore area.

(Also called introduced, exotic, or non-indigenous species) - A species that has been transported by human activity, intentionally or accidentally, into a region where it does not occur naturally.

Parallel to and near the shoreline (also referred to as longshore).

Refers to an environment that contains little or no dissolved oxygen and hence little or no benthic marine life. These conditions often arise in deep water locations where physical circulation of seawater is limited.

Originating from human activities.

The cultivation of aquatic organisms.

Permeable geological formation through which groundwater can flow and from which groundwater can be readily extracted. (See also Groundwater).

The placement of fixed engineering structures, typically rock or concrete, on or along the shoreline to reduce coastal erosion. Armoring structures include seawalls, revetments, bulkheads, and rip rap (loose boulders).

The generally dry portion of the beach between the berm crest and the vegetation line that is submerged only during very high sea levels and eroded only during moderate to strong wave events.

Water carried by a vessel to improve its stability.

A topographic map of the bed of the ocean, with depths indicated by contours (isobaths) drawn at regular intervals.

The measurement of water depths in oceans, seas, and lakes; also information derived from such measurements .

An accumulation of loose sediment (usually sand or gravel) along the coast.

The section of the beach normally exposed to the action of the wave uprush. Also referred to as the foreshore of a beach.

A volumetric loss of sand from the active beach.

A decrease in the useable beach width caused by erosion.

The technique of placing sand fill along the shoreline to widen the beach.

A cross-sectional plot of a shore-normal topographic and geomorphic beach survey, usually in comparison to other survey dates to illustrate seasonal and longer-term changes in beach volume.

The horizontal dimension of the beach measured normal to the shoreline and landward of the high water mark line on coasts.

A permanently fixed point of known elevation. A primary bench mark is one close to a tide station to which the tide staff and tidal datum originally are referenced.

A geomorphological feature usually located at mid-beach and characterized by a sharp break in slope, separating the flatter backshore from the seaward-sloping foreshore.

Rubble mound structure with horizontal berm of armor stones at about sea level, which is allowed to be (re)shaped by the waves.

(Also called biodiversity) - The diversity of life, often divided into three levels: genetic (diversity within species), species (diversity among species), and ecosystem (diversity among ecosystems).

The mass of living matter per unit of habitat (e.g. volume of water or area of bottom). Also referred to as standing crop or standing stock.

a depression on the land surface caused by wind erosion.

Biochemical (or Biological) Oxygen Demand - high figures suggest pollution or eutrophication.

A wave breaking on a shore or over a REEF, etc. Breakers may be classified into four types:+ COLLAPSING--breaking occurs over lower half of wave, with minimal air pocket and usually no splash-up. Bubbles and foam present.+ PLUNGING--crest curls over air pocket; breaking is usually with a crash. Smooth splash-up usually follows.+ SPILLING--bubbles and turbulent water spill down front face of wave. The upper 25 percent of the front face may become vertical before breaking. Breaking generally occurs over quite a distance.+ SURGING--wave peaks up, but bottom rushes forward from under wave, and wave slides up beach face with little or no bubble production. Water surface remains almost plane except where ripples may be produced on the beach face during runback.

The still-water depth at the point where a wave breaks. Also called breaking depth.

The zone within which waves approaching the coastline commence breaking, typically in water depths of between 5 and 10 meters for ocean coasts, but sometimes in shallower water.

A man-made structure protecting a shore area, harbor, anchorage, or basin from waves.

A parcel or strip of land that is designed and designated to permanently remain vegetated in an undisturbed and natural condition to protect an adjacent aquatic or wetland site from upland impacts, to provide habitat for wildlife and to afford limited public access.

The county required seaward limit of major construction for a coastal property. Building setbacks in Barbados are set at 30m (100 feet) from the high water mark for beaches and 10m (30 feet) for cliffs measured from the landward point of under cut.

A fine grained, plastic, sediment with a typical grain size less than 0.004 mm. Possesses electromagnetic properties which bind the grains together to give a bulk strength or cohesion.

The characteristic weather of a region, particularly regarding temperature and precipitation, averaged over some significant internal of time (years).

A strip of land of indefinite width (may be several kilometers) that extends from the shoreline inland to the first major change in terrain features. The part of a country regarded as near the coast.

The land and sea area bordering the shoreline. An entity of land and water affected by the biological and physical processes of both the sea and land and defined broadly for the purpose of managing the use of natural resources.

Those currents which flow roughly parallel to the shore and constitute a relatively uniform drift in the deeper water adjacent to the surf zone. These currents may be tidal currents, transient, wind-driven currents, or currents associated with the distribution of mass in local waters.For navigational purposes, the term is used to designate a current in coastwise shipping lanes where the tidal current is frequently rotary.

General term used to encompass both coast protection against erosion and sea defense against flooding.

Dunes within the coastal upland, immediately landward of the active beach.

The wearing away of coastal lands, usually by wave attack, tidal or littoral currents, or wind. Coastal erosion is synonymous with shoreline (vegetation line) retreat.

The low-lying, gently-sloping area landward of the beach often containing fossil sands deposited during previously higher sea levels.

Collective term covering the action of natural forces on the shoreline, and near shore seabed.

A zone directly adjacent to the waterline, where only coast related activities take place. Usually this is a strip of some 100 m wide. In this strip, coastal defense activities take place. In this strip often there may be restrictions to land use.

The low-lying area landward of the beach that sometimes contains unconsolidated sediments.The coastal upland is bounded by the hinterland (the higher-elevation areas dominated by bedrock and steeper slopes).

The transition zone where the land meets water; the region that is directly influenced by marine hydrodynamic processes. Extends offshore to the continental shelf break and onshore to the first major change in topography above the reach of major storm waves.

The integrated and general development of the coastal zone. Coastal Zone Management is not restricted to coastal defense works, but includes also coastal development in economical, ecological and social terms.

The line that forms the boundary between the coast and the shore. Commonly referred to as the line that forms the boundary between the land and the water (especially the water of a sea or ocean, also called the shoreline).

A rock fragment between 64 and 256 mm in diameter usually rounded.

The management of a natural resource for the protection, maintenance, rehabilitation, restoration, and/or enhancement of populations and ecosystems.

An anthropogenic increase in the concentration of a substance in the marine environment.

The zone bordering a continent extending from the line of permanent immersion to the depth, usually about 100 m to 200 m, where there is a marked or rather steep descent toward the great depths of the ocean.

The region of the oceanic bottom that extends outward from the shoreline, with an average slope of less than 1:100, to a line where the gradient begins to exceed 1:40 (the continental slope).

The declivity from the offshore border of the continental shelf to oceanic depths. It is characterized by a marked increase in slope.

Colonial animals in the phylum Cnidaria; mainly those that build reefs. "Coral" is also often used to refer to the hard, calcareous coral skeleton.

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.

A coral-algal mound or ridge of in-place coral colonies and skeletal fragments, carbonate sand, and organically-secreted calcium carbonate. A coral reef is built up around a wave-resistant framework, usually of older coral colonies.

Extensive limestone structures built largely by corals. They occur primarily in shallow tropical and provide habitat for a large variety of other marine life forms.

Highest point on a beach face, breakwater, or seawall.

The highest part of a wave.

One of the offshore currents flowing generally parallel to the shoreline in the deeper water beyond and near the surf zone; these are not related genetically to waves and resulting surf, but may be related to tides, winds, or distribution of mass.

Any current in the littoral zone caused primarily by wave action; e.g., longshore current, rip current.

The littoral current in the breaker zone that moves essentially parallel to the shore. Usually generated by waves breaking at an angle to the shoreline.

One of a series of short ridges on the foreshore separated by crescent-shaped troughs spaced at more or less regular intervals. Between these cusps are hollows. The cusps are spaced at somewhat uniform distances along beaches. They represent a combination of constructive and destructive processes.

A lowering of the beach profile.

The particulate, organic remains and waste of organisms. It constitutes a major food source in marine ecosystems.

(Also called non-point sources) Multiple, not easily identifiable sources of pollution (e.g., agriculture, urban areas).

Flow in the direction of net longshore sediment transport.

Along coasts with obliquely approaching waves there is a longshore (wave-driven) current.

The practice of excavating or displacing the bottom or shoreline of a water body.

Any deliberate disposal at sea of wastes or other matter, or any deliberate disposal of vessels or other man-made structures .

A landform characterized by an accumulation of wind-blown sand, often vegetated.

The technique of rebuilding an eroded or degraded dune through one or more various methods (sand fill, drift fencing, revegetation, etc.).

Light construction that provides pedestrian access without trampling dune vegetation.

A system in flux, but with influxes equal to outfluxes.

The branch of science studying the interactions among living things and their environment.

The living organisms and the nonliving environment interacting in a given area, encompassing the relationships between biological, geochemical, and geophysical systems.

A community or several communities of organisms together with their physical environment. A conceptual view of interaction within and independence among species and communities emphasizing the nature of the flow of material and energy among these parts and the feedback loops from one part to another.

Warm equatorial water which flows southward along the coast of Peru and Ecuador during February and March of certain years. It is caused by poleward motions of air and unusual water temperature patterns in the Pacific Ocean , which cause coastal downwelling, leading to the reversal in the normal north-flowing cold coastal currents. During many El Niño years, storms, rainfall, and other meteorological phenomena in the Western Hemisphere are measurably different than during non- El Niño years.

A warm current that usually appears around Christmas off the coast of Ecuador and Peru . It is often used to refer to episodic (3-5 year) events when the current is particularly intense and dominates the local population of organisms (the abundance of fish in particular). Such events lead to wider regional or global ocean-atmospheric perturbations whose manifestations range from increased sea surface temperatures in the tropical East Pacific to aberrant rainfall patterns. (see also ENSO ).

Species native to and restricted to specific geographic areas.

A cyclical, large-scale changes in atmospheric and ocean patterns in which, among other things, warm surface water in the Pacific moves further to the east than normal. (See also El Niño ).

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.

Procedures for valuing changes in environmental goods and services, whether or not they are traded in markets, by measuring the changes in the consumer or producer surpluses associated with these environmental goods.

The loss of sediment, sometimes indicated by the landward retreat of a shoreline indicator such as the water line, the berm crest, or the vegetation line.

Areas where coastal erosion has threatened shoreline development or infrastructure. Typically, the shoreline has been armored and the beach has narrowed considerably or been lost.

Areas where the coastal environment will soon be threatened if shoreline erosion trends continue.

The region where a river meets the marine environment. It is characterized by variable salinity and often by high biological productivity.

Increased primary production caused by the anthropogenic enrichment of a water body with nutrients. (See also primary production and nutrients ).

The entire group of animals found in an area.

An artificially widened beach serving to nourish downdrift beaches by natural littoral currents or forces.

The entire group of plants found in an area.

The seaward side of a reef (usually coral); in places a steep slope covered with reef talus.

The front dune immediately behind the backshore.

The seaward sloping portion of the beach within the normal range of tides.

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.

Steel wire-mesh basket to hold stones or crushed rock to protect a bank or bottom from erosion. Structures composed of masses of rocks, rubble or masonry held tightly together usually by wire mesh so as to form blocks or walls. Sometimes used (although not recommended) on heavy erosion coastal areas to retard wave action.

Database of information which is geographically referenced, usually with an associated visualization system.

A navigational and positioning system developed by the U.S. Department of Defense, by which the location of a position on or above the Earth can be determined by a special receiver at that point interpreting signals received simultaneously from several of a constellation of special satellites.

Unconsolidated natural accumulation of rounded rock fragments coarser than sand but finer than pebbles (2-4 mm diameter).

Gases that trap heat radiating from the Earth's surface, thereby warming the lower atmosphere.

Water that occupies pores and crevices in rock and soil, below the surface of the Earth. The upper limit of the groundwater is the water table, whose level varies according to the quantity of water entering and extracted from the groundwater. (See also aquifers).

Narrow, roughly shore-normal structure built to reduce longshore currents, and/or to trap and retain littoral material. Most groins are of rock and extend from the backshore, well onto the foreshore and rarely even further offshore.

A series of groynes acting together to protect a section of beach. Also called a groyne system.

The physical space where an organism, population or species lives. Habitats are usually categorized by particular physical or biological characteristics (e.g., coral reefs, mangrove forests).

Any protected water area affording a place of safety for vessels. A harbor may be natural or man-made.

General term applied to impermeable coastal defense structures of concrete, timber, steel, masonry, etc, which reflect a high proportion of incident wave energy.

In strictness, the intersection of the plane of mean high water with the shore. For specific occurrences, the highest elevation on the shore reached during a storm or rising tide, including meteorological effects.

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.

Line of movement (propagation) of the eye through an area.

The description and study of seas, lakes, rivers and other waters; the science of locating aids and dangers to navigation; the description of physical properties of the waters of a region.

The study of the processes affecting the movement of freshwater, including underground waters.

Waters with a low concentration of oxygen.

A groyne constructed such that sand cannot pass through the structure (but sand may still move over or around it).

A wave moving landward.

In beach terminology, the zone of variable width extending from the low water line through the breaker zone.

(As related to integrated coastal management) - The process of bringing together separate functions of government at different levels together with other stakeholders to provide a unified approach to interventions in the managed area.

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).

The part of the shoreline that is submerged at high tide and exposed at low tide.

A contour line connecting points of equal water depths on a chart.

The direction toward which the wind is blowing; The direction toward which waves are travelling.

Of or pertaining to a shore, especially of the sea. Often used as a general term for the coastal zone influenced by wave action, or, more specifically, the shore zone between the high and low water marks.

The sediment budget of the beach consisting of sources and sinks.

A reach of the coast that is isolated sedimentologically from adjacent coastal reaches and that features its own sources and sinks. Isolation is typically caused by protruding headlands, submarine canyons, inlets, and some river mouths that prevent littoral sediment from one cell to pass into the next.

The geographical system subject to frequent or infrequent beach processes. The littoral system is the area from the landward edge of the coastal upland to the seaward edge of the nearshore zone.

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.

The rate of transport of sedimentary material parallel or perpendicular to the shore in the littoral zone. Usually expressed in cubic metres (cubic yards) per year. Commonly synonymous with longshore transport rate.

In beach terminology, an indefinite zone extending seaward from the shoreline to just beyond the breaker zone.

Parallel to and near the shoreline; Also referred to as alongshore.

Movement of (beach) sediments approximately parallel to the coastline.

Sediment transport down the beach (parallel to the shoreline) caused by longshore currents and/or waves approaching obliquely to the shoreline.

Lost beaches lack a recreational beach, and lateral shoreline access is very difficult if not impossible.

Tidal range greater than 4 m.

A tropical tree with interlacing prop roots, confined to low-lying brackish areas.

A community of salt-tolerant trees and shrubs, with many other associated organisms, that grows on some tropical and sub-tropical coasts in a zone roughly coinciding with the intertidal zone.

The cultivation of marine organisms.

A specially designed harbour with moorings for pleasure yachts and small boats.

A mark of permanent character close to a survey station, to which it is related by an accurately measured distance and azimuth (or bearing).

An object placed at the site of a station to identify the surveyed location of that station.

A track of soft wet land, usually vegetated by reeds, grasses and occasionally small shrubs.

+ Soft, wet area periodically or continuously flooded to a shollow depth, usually characterised by a particular subclass of grasses, cattails and other low plants.

A marsh periodically flooded by salt water.

The average height of the high water over a 19-year period. For shorter periods of observations, corrections are applied to eliminate known variations and reduce the results to the equivalent of a mean 19-year value. All high water heights are included in the average where the type of tide is either semi-diurnal or mixed.

The average height of the low water over a 19-year period. For shorter periods of observations, corrections are applied to eliminate known variations and reduce the results to the equivalent of a mean 19-year value. All low water heights are included in the average where the type of tide is either semi-diurnal or mixed.

The average height of the surface of the sea for all stages of the tide over a 19-year period, usually determined from hourly height readings. Not necessarily equal to mean tide level. It is also the average water level that would exist in the absence of tides.

A plane midway between mean high water and mean low water. Not necessarily equal to mean sea level. Also referred to as half-tide level.

The mean of all individual waves in an observation interval of approximately half an hour.

Tidal range between 2m and 4m.

Tidal range less than 2m.

Periodic collection of data to study changes in an environment over time.

A fluid-to-plastic mixture of finely divided particles of solid material and water.

May be classified as non-renewable (e.g. coal, oil) and renewable. The latter may further be classified as unconditionally renewable (e.g. solar, tidal or wind energy) and conditionally renewable (e.g. fish, forest products). Conditionally renewable sources will last indefinitely if not over-exploited because that part of the resource that is used can be replaced through natural processes.

In beach terminology an indefinite zone extending seaward from the shoreline well beyond the breaker zone.

• The zone which extends from the swash zone to the position marking the start of the offshore zone, typically at water depths of the order of 20m.

The ocean circulation pattern composed of the nearshore currents and the coastal currents.

The current system characterised primarily by wave action in and near the breaker zone, and which consists of four parts: the shoreward mass transport of water; longshore currents; seaward return flow, including rip currents; and the longshore movement of the expanding heads of rip currents. See also nearshore circulation.

An organisation, usually non-profit, that is not part of the central, local, or municipal government.

Multiple, not easily identifiable sources of pollution (e.g. agriculture, urban areas). Also called diffuse sources.

The process of replenishing a beach. It may occur naturally by longshore transport, or be brought about artificially by the deposition of dredged material or materials trucked in from upland sites.

The input of fertilising chemicals to the nearshore environment, usually via non-point source runoff and sewage effluent. Nutrient loading often leads to algal booms.

Substances that are essential for the growth of marine organisms that perform primary production (algae, bacteria, and plants). Excess nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, can be major pollutants.

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

The study of the sea embracing and indicating all knowledge pertaining to the sea's physical boundaries, the chemistry and physics of the seawater, marine biology, and marine geology.

The portion of the littoral system that is always submerged.

A breakwater built towards the seaward limit of the littoral zone, parallel (or nearly parallel) to the shore.

Any current in the offshore zone. Also refers to any current flowing away from shore.

Waters with low primary productivity because of limited supplies of nutrients.

A surface exposure of bare rock, not covered by soil or vegetation.

The water that splashes over the top of a breakwater, seawall or other coastal defence structure.

Passing of water over the top of a structure as a result of wave run-up or surge action.

Transport of the sediment landward of the active beach by coastal flooding during a tsunami, hurricane, or other event with extreme waves.

The part of the uprush that runs over the crest of a berm of a structure and does not flow directly back to the ocean or lake.

• The effects of waves overtopping a coastal defence, often carrying sediment landwards which is then lost to the beach system.

A mound like or flat-topped organic reef, generally less than 1 km across, frequently forming part of a larger reef complex.

Beach material usually well-rounded and between about 4mm to 64mm diameter.

A groyne with openings or voids large enough to permit passage of appreciable quantities of littoral drift through the structure.

The zone extending downward from the ocean surface within which the light is sufficient to sustain photosynthesis. The depth of this layer varies with water clarity, time of year and cloud clover, but is about 100m in the open ocean.

• It may be considered the depth to which all light is filtered out except for about one percent and may be calculated as about two and a half-times the depth of a secchi disk reading.

The science of deducing the physical dimensions of objects from measurements on images (usually photographs) of the objects.

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.

A structure, ususally of open construction, extending out into the water from the shore, to serve as a landing place, recreational facility, etc., rather than to afford coastal protection or affect the movement of water. A term sometimes improperly applied to jetties.

A long, heavy timber or section of concrete or metal that is driven or jetted into the earth or seabed to serve as a support or protection.

For a plunging wave, the point at which the wave curls over and falls.

• The final breaking point of the waves just before they rush up on the beach.

A beach, usually small, in a coastal reentrant or between two littoral barriers (often rocky headlands).

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.

The introduction by man, directly or indirectly, of substances or energy into the marine environment (including estuaries) resulting in such deleterious effects as harm to living resources, hazards to human health, hindrance to maritime activities including fishing, impairment of quality for use of sea water and reduction of amenities.

• The contamination of the environment or poisonous substances.

A diverse group of chemicals that persist in the environment, bioaccumulate through the food web, and pose a risk of causing adverse effects to human health and the environment. A group of twelve POPs (the "dirty dozen") have been initially selected for international action by the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS).

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.

The essence of the approach is expressed in Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration that states "Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason to postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation." The approach is concerned with avoiding risk that has not been assessed, i.e. uncertainty.

The process in which organisms synthesize organic matter from inorganic materials, or the organic matter itself.

The intersection of the ground surface with a vertical plane; typically perpendicular to the local shoreline, and may extend from behind the dune line or the top of a bluff to well seaward of the breaker zone.

The transmission of waves through water.

An offshore consolidated rock hazard to navigation, with a least depth of about 20 metres (10 fathoms) or less. Often refers to coral fringing reefs in tropical waters.

Rubble mound of single-sized stones with a crest at or below sea level which is allowed to be (re)shaped by the waves.

A place for which tidal constants have previously been determined and which is used as a standard for the comparison observations at a second station.

• A station for which independent daily predictions are given in the tide or current tables from which corresponding predictions are obtained for other stations by means of differences or factors.

In regard to beach measuring procedure, the part of the foreshore subject to wave action (between the limit of uprush and the limit of backwash) at mid-tide stage.

The process by which the energy of the wave is returned seaward.

The process by which the direction of a wave moving in shallow water at an angle to the contours is changed: the part of the wave advancing in shallower water moves more slowly than that part still advancing in deeper water, causing the wave crest to bend toward alignment with the underwater contours.

• The bending of wave crests by currents.

Average period of time between occurrences of a given event.

A sloping type of shoreline armouring often constructed from large interlocking boulders. Revetments tend to have a rougher (less reflective) surface than seawalls.

Beach topography consisting of sand bars that have welded to the shore during the recovery stage after a storm. At low tide, water ponds in the runnels and flows seaward through gaps in the ridge.

A nearly continuous mound of beach material that has been shaped by wave or other action. Ridges may occur singly or as a series of approximately parallel deposits.

Tiny drainage channels in a beach caused by the flow seaward of water left in the sands of the upper part of the beach after the retreat of the tide or after the dying down of storm waves.

A strong surface current flowing seaward from the shore. It usually appears as a visible band of agitated water and is the return movement of water piled up on the shore by incoming waves and winds. With the seaward movement concentrated in a limited band its velocity is somewhat accumulated. A rip consists of three parts: the feeder currents flowing parallel to the shore inside the breakers; the neck, there the feeder currents converge and flow through the breakers in a narrow band or "rip"; and the head of rip, where the current widens and slackens outside of the breaker line. A rip current is often miscalled a rip tide.

A protective layer or facing of quarry stone, usually well graded within wide size limit, randomly placed to prevent erosion, scour, or sloughing of an embankment or bluff; also the stone so used. The quarry tone is placed in a layer at least twice the thickness of the 50 percent size, or 1.25 times the thickness of the largest size stone in the gradation.

Assessment of the total risk due to all possible environmental inputs and all possible mechanisms.

An aggregate of one or more minerals; or a body of undifferentiated mineral matter. The three classes of rocks are: (a) igneous - crystalline rocks formed from molten material (e.g. granite and basalt); (b) sedimentary - resulting from the consolidation of loose sediment that has accumulated in layers (e.g. sandstone, shale and limestone); (c) metamorphic - formed from pre-exisiting rock as a result of burial, heat and pressure.

Loose angular water worn stones along a beach. Rough, irregular fragments of broken rock.

A mound of random-shaped and random-placed stones protected with a cover layer of selected stones or specially shaped concrete armour units. (Armour units in a primary cover layer may be placed in an orderly manner or dumped at random.)

A corrugation or trough formed in the foreshore or in the bottom just offshore by waves or tidal currents (see ridge and runnel).

The upper and lower levels reached by a wave on a beach or coastal structure, relative to still-water level.

The number of grams of salt per thousand grams of sea water, usually expressed in parts per thousand.

Change in salinity which can be expressed in parts per thousand per foot.

Sediment particles, often largely composed of quartz, with a diameter of between 0.062mm and 2mm, generally classified as fine, medium, coarse or very coarse. Beach sand may sometimes be composed of organic sediments such as calcareous reef debris or shell fragments.

An almost vertical slope along the beach caused by erosion by wave action. It may vary in height from a few cm to a metre or so, depending on wave action and the nature and composition of the beach.

• A steep slope, usually along the foreshore and/or at the vegetation line formed by wave attack.

The erosion of a dune or berm by wave attack during a storm or a large swell.

The removal of underwater material by waves and currents, especially at the base or toe of a shore structure.

Protection against erosion of the seabed in front of the toe.

A large body of salt water, second in rank to an ocean, more or less landlocked and generally part of, or connected with, an ocean or a larger sea. Examples: Mediterranean Sea; South China Sea.

• Waves caused by wind at the place and time of observation.


• State of the ocean surface, in regard to waves.

Large sand-filled geotextile tubes used in coastal protection projects.

Members of marine seed plants that grow chiefly on sand or sand-mud bottom. They are most abundant in water less than 9m deep. The common types are: Eel grass (Zostera), Turtle grass (Thallasia), and Mantee grass (Syringodium).

Benthic communities, usually on shallow, sandy or muddy bottoms, dominated by grasslike marine plants.

(Law) All ground between the ordinary high-water and low-water mark.

• The shore of the sea or ocean, often used in a general sense (e.g. to visit the seashore).


• An area of sandy stony rock or rocky land bordering and level with the sea.

A structure, often concrete or stone, built along a portion of a coast to prevent erosion and other damage by wave action. Often it retains earth against its shoreward face.

Visibility disk (white and black, 30cm diameter) used to measure the transparency of water.

Loose fragments of rocks, minerals or organic material which are transported from their source for varying distances and deposited by air, wind, ice and water. Other sediments are precipitated from the overlying water or form chemically, in place.

• The fine grained material deposited by water or wind.

Point or area at which beach material is irretrievably lost from a coastal cell, such as an estuary, or a deep channel in the seabed.

Point or area on a coast from which beach material is supplied, such as an eroding cliff, or river mouth.

The main agencies by which sedimentary materials are moved are: gravity (gravity transport); running water (rivers and streams); ice (glaciers); wind; the sea (currents and longshore drift). Running water and wind are the most widespread transporting agents. In both cases, three mechanisms operate, although the particle size of the transported material involved is very different, owing to the differences in density and viscosity of air and water. The three processes are: rolling or traction, in which the particle moves along the bed but is too heavy to be lifted from it; saltation; and suspension, in which particles remain permanently above the bed, sustained there by the turbulent flow of the air or water.

The routes along which the net sediment movement occurs.

A required open space, specified in shoreline master programmes, measured horizontally upland from a perpendicular to the ordinary high water mark.

Loosely and commonly, any beach material coarser than ordinary gravel, especially any having flat or flattish pebbles.

• Strictly and accurately, beach material of smooth, well-rounded pebbles that are not roughly the same size. The spaces betwen pebbles are not filled with finer materials.

The narrow strip of land in immediate contact with the sea, including the zone between high and low water lines. A shore of unconsolidated material is usually called a beach.

• Also used in a general sense to mean the coastal area (e.g. to live at the shore).


• Also sometimes known as the littoral.

The narrow zone seaward from the low tide shoreline, covered by water, over which the beach sands and gravels actively oscillate with changing wave conditions.s

The intersection of a specified plane of water with the shore or beach (e.g. the high water shoreline would be the intersection of the plane of mean high water with the shore or beach). The line delineating the shoreline on nautical charts and surveys approximates the mean high water line.

The development of strategic, long-term and sustainable coastal defence and land-use policy within a sediment cell.

Sediment particles with a grain size between 0.004mm and 0.062mm, i.e. coarser than clay particles but finer than sand.

The input of non-calcareous fine-grained sediments to the nearshore marine environment, or the settling out of fine-grained sediments on the sea floor.

• The settling of fine-grained particles to the sea bottom.

A layer of weathered, unconsolidated material on top of bedrock; in geologic usage, usually defined as containing organic matter and being capable of supporting plant growth.

An arbitrary division of a continuous scale of grain sizes such that each scale unit or grade may serve as a convenient class interval for conducting the analysis or for expressing the results of an analysis.

A tide that occurs at or near the time of new or full moon (syzygy) and which rises highest and falls lowest from the mean sea level.

Individuals, groups of individuals and non-governmental and government entities that have either a direct or indirect interest or claim which will, or may, be affected by a particular decision or policy.

A point on the ground whose horizontal or vertical location is used as a basis for obtaining locations of other points

The nearly horizontal section which more or less divides the beach from the shoreface.

A temporary rise in sea level associated with a storm's low barometric pressure and onshore winds.

Underground fresh water that has flowed beneath the sea floor.

Collective term for breakers.

• The wave activity in the area between the shoreline and the outermost limit of breakers.


• In literature, the term surf usually refers to the breaking waves on shore and on reefs when accompanied by a roaring noise caused by the larger waves breaking.

The zone of wave action extending from the water line (which varies with tide, surge, set-up, etc.) out to the most seaward point of the zone (breaker zone) at which waves approaching the coastline commence breaking, typically in water depths of between 5 to 10m.

A survey that provides coordinates (horizontal or vertical) of points to which supplementary surveys are adjusted.

A survey that has as its principle purpose the determination of geometric and dynamic characteristics of bodies of water.

A survey in which monuments are placed at points that have been determined photogrammetrically.

A survey which has, for its major purpose, the determination of the configuration (relief) of the surface of the land and the location of natural and artificial objects thereon.

The material moving in suspension in a fluid, kept up by the upward components of the turbulent currents or by colloidal suspension.

The rush of water up onto the beach face following the breaking of a wave.

• Also referred to as uprush or run up.

The zone of wave action on the beach, which moves as water levels vary, extending from the limit of run-down to the limit of run-up.

Wind-generated waves that have travelled out of their generating area. Swell characteristically exhibits a more regular and longer period and has flatter crests than waves within their fetch (seas).

The offshore belt in which a coastal state has exclusive jurisdiction. The territorial sea may not extend more than 12 nautical miles from the coastline.

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

A geographically defined area that is designed and managed to achieve specified environmental objectives.

Lowest part of sea and portside breakwater slope, generally forming the transition to the seabed.

A tropical cyclone with maximum winds less than 34 m/sec (75 mile per hour). Compare with hurricane or typhoon (winds greater than 34m/sec).

A long-period water wave caused by an underwater disturbance such as a volcanic eruption or earthquake. Commonly miscalled 'tidal wave.'

A condition of a liquid due to fine visible material in suspension, which may not be of sufficient size to be seen as individual particles by the naked eye but which prevents the passage of light through the liquid.

In referring to sediment grains, loose, separate, or unattached to one another.

Erosion of material at the foot of a cliff or bank, e.g. a sea cliff, or river bank on the outside of a meander. Ultimately, the overhang collapses, and the process is repeated.

A current below water surface flowing seaward; the receding water below the surface from waves breaking on a shelving beach. Actually undertow is largely mythical. As the backwash of each wave flows down the beach, a current is formed which flows seaward. However, it is a periodic phenomenon. The most common phenomena expressed as "undertow" are actually rip currents.

The direction opposite that of the predominant movement of littoral materials.

Dry land area above and landward of the ordinary high water mark (ohwm).

Often used as a general term to mean high land far from the coast and in the interior of the country.

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

A long coasts with obliquely approaching waves there is a longshore (wave-driven) current. For this current one can define an upstream and a downstream direction.

The input of hydrocarbons, heavy metals, pesticides, and other chemicals to the nearshore marine environment from densely populated areas.

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

The elevation of still water level relative to some datum.

The vertical distance between a crest and the preceding trough.

The horizontal distance between similar points on two successive waves measured perpendicularly to the crest.

The time for a wave crest to traverse a distance equal to one wavelength. The time for two successive wave crests to pass a fixed point.

The transmission of waves through water.

Diagram showing the long-term distribution of wave height and direction.

Super elevation of the water surface over normal surge elevation due to onshore mass transport of the water by wave action alone.

That part of an incident wave that is returned seaward when a wave impinges on a steep beach, barrier, or other reflecting surface.

Lands whose saturation with water is the dominant factor determining the nature of soil development and the types of plant and animal communities that live in the soil and on its surface (e.g. Mangrove forests).

A structure built on the shore of a harbor, river, or canal, so that vessels may lie alongside to receive and discharge cargo and passengers

Diagram showing the long-term distribution of wind speed and direction.

A wind blowing seaward from the land in a coastal area.

Unicellular, symbiotic algae living within coral polyps that produce food for their hosts by photosynthesis and help efficiently recycle low-levels of nutrients.