Coastal zone in the context of "Coastal meadow"

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⭐ Core Definition: Coastal zone

A coast (also called the coastline, shoreline, or seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, such as that caused by waves. The geological composition of rock and soil dictates the type of shore that is created. Earth has about 620,000 km (390,000 mi) of coastline.

Coasts are important zones in natural ecosystems, often home to a wide range of biodiversity. On land, they harbor ecosystems, such as freshwater or estuarine wetlands, that are important for birds and other terrestrial animals. In wave-protected areas, coasts harbor salt marshes, mangroves, and seagrasses, all of which can provide nursery habitat for finfish, shellfish, and other aquatic animals. Rocky shores are usually found along exposed coasts and provide habitat for a wide range of sessile animals (e.g. mussels, starfish, barnacles) and various kinds of seaweeds.

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👉 Coastal zone in the context of Coastal meadow

Coastal meadows are meadows in the coastal zone, influenced by the sea.

Under this definition, the salinity of the air and wind is usually high and the flora is dominated by salt-tolerant species. Some coastal meadows may be flooded by seawater occasionally, increasing the demands on the flora even further. These conditions however, do not make a meadow. To be categorized as a meadow in the first place, the plant growth has to be low in height, and normally this can only be achieved from wear by general traffic or grazing of the landscape (artificially or by livestock). Coastal meadows are therefore usually thought of as cultural landscapes or biotopes, requiring some degree of intervention and not being able to sustain themselves on their own. If left alone, coastal meadows would often transform into a transitional meadow and eventually a shrubby or bushy seashore habitat.

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Coastal zone in the context of Marine geology

Marine geology or geological oceanography is the study of the history and structure of the ocean floor. It involves geophysical, geochemical, sedimentological and paleontological investigations of the ocean floor and coastal zone. Marine geology has strong ties to geophysics and to physical oceanography.

Marine geological studies were of extreme importance in providing the critical evidence for sea floor spreading and plate tectonics in the years following World War II. The deep ocean floor is the last essentially unexplored frontier and detailed mapping in support of economic (petroleum and metal mining), natural disaster mitigation, and academic objectives.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Marine geology ← Coastal meadow
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Sunrise → Jersey Shore → Spring Lake, New Jersey → New Jersey → West Coast, New Zealand → Greenland → Escorca → Serra de Tramuntana → Balearic Islands → Land → Sea → Ocean → Lake → Topography → Erosion → Wind wave → Geology → Rock (geology) → Soil → Earth → Ecosystem → Biodiversity → Freshwater marsh → Estuary → Wetland → Terrestrial animal → Salt marsh → Mangrove → Seagrass meadow → Nursery habitat → Fish → Shellfish → Aquatic animal → Rocky shore → Sessility (motility) → Mussel → Starfish → Barnacle → Seaweed →