coastal ecosystem
Where land meets sea
A coastal ecosystem is the community of living organisms and their physical environment where land meets sea—including beaches, estuaries, salt marshes, mangroves, and tidal zones.
These areas are biologically productive, supporting diverse species adapted to fluctuating salinity, tides, and wave action.
Coastal ecosystems provide services like storm protection, nursery habitat for fish, and carbon storage, making them ecologically and economically significant: Development threatens coastal ecosystems worldwide.
- salt marshCoastal wetland with halophytes
- coastal wetlandWaterlogged land by shore
- coral reefCalcium carbonate marine ecosystem
- estuaryTidal mixing zone
- mangrove forestCoastal woodland of salt-tolerant trees
tidal flow · tidal flat · phytoplankton · intertidal zone · lagoon · crabs · carbon sequestration · kelp forest · migratory birds · flood mitigation · storm surges · shoreline erosion · wave action · rocky shore · sea turtles · barrier island · conservation efforts · aquaculture