Shore

The shore is the boundary between land and a body of water, typically along oceans, seas, lakes, or rivers. In common usage, shore and coast are used interchangeably, though coast often refers to the broader zone including the nearshore waters.

Shaped by waves, currents, tides, and wind-driven sediment transport, shores are dynamic; processes such as erosion and deposition continuously modify their shape. The nearshore zone includes the intertidal region between high and low tides and the foreshore where waves wash up.

Shoreline habitats include beaches with sand or pebbles, dunes, rocky shores, mangroves, salt marshes, and littoral zones that support diverse ecosystems. Organisms adapted to wet-dry cycles and saline conditions inhabit these areas, including shorebirds, crustaceans, mollusks, and algae.

Humans interact with shores for settlement, transportation, fishing, tourism, and recreation. Shorelines are vulnerable to erosion and sea level rise, requiring management such as coastal defenses, soft stabilization, and integrated coastal zone management to balance ecological integrity with economic interests.