coastlines
Where land ends
Coastlines is the plural of coastline—the boundary where land meets sea.
A coastline traces the edge of a landmass: The Pacific coastlines of North and South America run for thousands of miles.
Coastlines can be rocky, sandy, or marshy, and their lengths vary dramatically depending on how finely you measure their irregular edges.
Sandy waterside margin
- sandFine rock particles
- pebblesSmall water-smoothed stones
- shingleOverlapping roof covering
- wavesTraveling energy disturbances
tides · surf · seashells · seaweed · driftwood · strand · foreshore · rockpools
Steep natural rock walls
- sedimentParticles settling in liquid
- rockfallCollapsed cliff material
- landslideMass of earth falling
- retreatSanctuary or withdrawal
undercutting · abrasion · attrition · weathering · stack · arch · blowhole · groynes
Salt-water coastal trees
- wetlandsWater-saturated terrain
- dunesWind-formed sand ridges
- rockpoolsWater-filled coastal hollows
- tidepoolsCoastal rock hollows holding seawater
breeding-grounds · shorebirds · waders · crustaceans · mollusks · seals · sea-turtles · biodiversity
Land almost encircled by water
- isthmusNarrow strip connecting landmasses
- deltaSymbol denoting variation
- estuaryTidal mixing zone
- gulfPartially enclosed sea
bay · lagoon · fjord · headland · cove · cape · archipelago · inlet
Determining position and course
- lighthousesCoastal towers with lamps
- harborsSheltered waters for mooring
- portsShip berths or device jacks
- marinasHarbors with docking facilities
anchorages · dockyards · fisheries · seafaring · buoys · beacons · jetties · piers
beach
Sandy waterside margin
waves · tides · surf · seashells · seaweed · driftwood · strand · foreshore · rockpools · tideline
cliffs
Steep natural rock walls
retreat · undercutting · abrasion · attrition · weathering · stack · arch · blowhole · groynes · seawalls
mangroves
Salt-water coastal trees
tidepools · breeding-grounds · shorebirds · waders · crustaceans · mollusks · seals · sea-turtles · biodiversity · ecosystem
peninsula
Land almost encircled by water
gulf · bay · lagoon · fjord · headland · cove · cape · archipelago · inlet · spit
navigation
Determining position and course
- lighthousesCoastal towers with lamps
- harborsSheltered waters for mooring
- portsShip berths or device jacks
marinas · anchorages · dockyards · fisheries · seafaring · buoys · beacons · jetties · piers · wharves
picturesque
Visually pleasing, paintable
- breathtakingAstonishingly beautiful or exciting
- panoramicOffering unobstructed wide view
- dramaticStrikingly expressive or sudden
pristine · unspoiled · rugged · windswept · seascape · vista · sunset · lookouts · viewpoints · tourism
- American landscapeprairies, plains, Great Plains, heartland, Midwest
- European LandformsAlps, Pyrenees, Carpathians, Danube, Rhine
- Italian sceneryTuscan countryside, Tuscan hills, rolling hills, cypress trees, olive groves
- natural areasnature reserve, nature reserves, wilderness areas, wetland, wildlife refuge
- nature aestheticsnatural beauty, scenic beauty, scenic views, landscapes, picturesque
- regional featurestopography, valleys, plateaus, wetlands, climate zones
coastlinesinteriors
Inner parts of spaces
backcountry · heartland · heartlands · hinterland · hinterlands
- rocky coastlineStone-edged meeting of land and sea
- rugged coastlineIrregular, rocky ocean boundary