Coastal Habitats

Coastal habitats are controlled by the four types of tide; high/low/spring/neap, and by the geology of the landscape. The coastal zone is the area influenced by its proximity to the coast, and is split up in to 8 sub-zones:

• The offshore zone - sees no significant transport of sediment by wave action
• The littoral zone - sediment is transported by wave action
• The nearshore zone - sediment transport is limited to the low tide line
• The shore - subaerially exposed at least partially, experiences wave action
• The foreshore - Subject to waves in non-storm conditions
• The backshore - only subjected to wave action during storms
• The surf zone - a zone where waves break, extending from the breaker zone to foreshore
• The swash zone - The part of the coastline that experiences wave run up and backwash water 

Sediment sources

Terrestrial sediment is transported to the coast in the form of overland flow, flash flooding and rainfall. Steeper, more mountainous catchments will yield more sediment.