Coastalmarine

Coastalmarine is a term used in environmental science and geography to describe topics at the interface of coastal and marine systems. It designates the coastal marine zone, the transitional area between land and sea, commonly encompassing intertidal zones, estuaries, bays, and the shallow continental shelf. The term highlights the interactions of physical forces such as tides, waves, and sediment transport with chemical processes and biological communities.

Research areas within coastalmarine include hydrodynamics, shoreline change, sediment dynamics, nutrient cycling, primary production, and habitat diversity. Ecological features such as marshes, mangroves, seagrass beds, and certain coral or kelp communities can occur in these zones, providing services like carbon sequestration, nursery habitats, fisheries support, and flood protection.

Human dimension and policy play a central role in coastalmarine work. Research informs coastal zone management, climate adaptation, pollution control, and disaster risk reduction. Activities such as dredging, coastal development, and rising seas pose challenges to these environments, while restoration and conservation efforts aim to maintain ecosystem services.

Methods commonly used in coastalmarine studies include field measurements, aerial and satellite remote sensing, GIS mapping, hydrographic surveys, sonar mapping, and numerical modeling to assess morphology, hydrodynamics, and ecosystem health.

Terminology and usage: Coastalmarine is not universally defined as a formal scientific category; usage varies by region and discipline and is sometimes adopted by organizations and projects as a branding or cross-disciplinary label. See also coastal zone management and marine science.