shell beach
Mollusk-fragment coastline
A shell beach is a shoreline composed primarily of shells and shell fragments rather than sand or pebbles, formed where mollusks accumulate over time and wave action grinds their remains into a distinctive white or pale surface.
Some shell beaches, like those in Western Australia and Florida, contain shells so densely packed that the material has been quarried for construction: We walked barefoot across the shell beach, feeling the rough edges underfoot.
- sandFine rock particles
- seashellsEmpty mollusk exoskeletons
- coastlineLand-water boundary
- tideOcean's cyclical swell
- low tideSea at minimum level
high water mark · driftwood · waves · cove · shoreline · tidal zone · pebbles · sea glass · conch · surf · beachcombing · saltwater · ocean · barnacles · inlet · scallop · clam · oyster
- beachesshoreline, shorelines, dunes, waves
- seascapesseascape, seascapes, ocean view, coastal view, coastal scenes
- Louisiana coastbayou, Mississippi Delta, barrier island, salt marsh, Lake Pontchartrain
- beach amenitieslifeguard, lifeguard stand, lifeguard station, lifeguard tower, outdoor shower