seawardmost

Seawardmost is an adjective used in geography, coastal engineering, archaeology, and ecology to describe the location that lies closest to the sea along a given line or area. It denotes the most seaward position with respect to a chosen reference, such as a coastline, a transect perpendicular to the shore, or a property boundary. It is always relative; a point that is seawardmost in one assessment may be landwardmost in another if the reference changes.

The term combines seaward, meaning toward the sea, with the superlative suffix most. In practice, determining the seawardmost boundary involves mapping the coastal profile, using GPS or surveyed transects, and identifying the point where the landward edge of a feature meets the sea or where a feature ends at the shoreline. Examples include the seawardmost edge of a dune field, the seawardmost extent of a salt marsh, or the seawardmost mitigation boundary of a waterfront development.

Because shorelines are dynamic, the seawardmost point can shift due to tides, storms, erosion, and sea level rise, requiring periodic reevaluation in planning and management. See also landwardmost, coastline, and littoral zone.