foreshore

The foreshore is the part of a coast that lies between the high-water mark and the low-water mark. It is the portion of the shore that is regularly wetted by the sea with tides, and it is often described as the intertidal zone. Depending on the field, foreshore definitions may use mean high water and mean low water as reference lines, but the common idea is that the foreshore is the tidal belt between the high and low limits.

Foreshore geography varies with coast type. It can be rocky, sandy, muddy, or a mix, and its slope and texture influence how waves interact with the shore. The area is shaped by wave action, tidal forces, currents, and sediment supply, producing features such as wave-cut platforms, runnels, and ripple marks. The foreshore hosts communities adapted to periodic immersion and exposure, including algae, barnacles, mussels, crabs, and burrowing invertebrates, often with tidal pools forming during low tides.

Dynamics and processes are ongoing and context-dependent. Wave run-up, swash, backwash, and storm events continually reshape the foreshore, contributing to erosion in some places and accretion in others. Littoral drift moves sediment along the coast, influencing beach morphology and the extent of the foreshore.

Humans interact with the foreshore through recreation, fisheries, and coastal management. Protective structures, beach nourishment, and erosion-control measures aim to stabilize shorelines, while ongoing monitoring seeks to balance ecological integrity with public use and development.