coastal habitats
Where land meets sea
Coastal habitats are the ecosystems where land meets sea—beaches, estuaries, salt marshes, mangrove forests, tidal flats, and rocky shores.
These areas support distinctive communities of plants and animals adapted to fluctuating conditions of salinity, tides, and wave action.
The oil spill devastated coastal habitats for miles.
Coastal habitats serve as nurseries for many marine species and buffer inland areas from storms.
- beachSandy waterside margin
- estuaryTidal mixing zone
- intertidal zoneShore covered and uncovered daily
- erosionGradual wearing away
- coral reefCalcium carbonate marine ecosystem
mangrove forest · dune · beach grass · sea stack · spartina · lagoon · coastal development · tidal flat · oyster bed · barrier island · salt marsh · marine ecosystems · marine sanctuary · sea turtle nesting · coastal wetland · sandy · high tide mark · tide pool
- coastscliffs, shoreline, sandy shore, coves, bays
- habitatsforest, ocean, lake, river, pond
- wildlife conservationgame warden, species protection, wildlife officer, wildlife refuges, wildlife refuge
- Baltic natureBaltic Sea, boreal forests, bogs, pine forests, birch forests
- coastal ecosystemscoastal lagoon, coastal lagoons, marine ecosystems, tidal flats, mudflats
- Korean NatureKorean Peninsula, DMZ, Taebaek Mountains, Yellow Sea, pine forests