Coastal

The coastal habitat represents the strip of land above the high tide mark, but still near or influenced by the sea. It includes places such as cliffs where seabirds can nest, the splash zone where salt-tolerant lichens grow and areas of dunes and marram grass behind the beach. Many seabirds and seals use the coastal habitat as a place to breed or moult.

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    For a king penguin, living in a tightly packed colony can get pretty smelly so what better way to clean up than to do a spot of surfing.

About Coastal

The coast is defined as where the land meets the sea. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the process of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs. Both the terms coast and coastal are often used to describe a geographic location or region; for example, New Zealand's West Coast, or the East and West Coasts of the United States.

A pelagic coast refers to a coast which fronts the open ocean, as opposed to a more sheltered coast in a gulf or bay. A shore, on the other hand, can refer to parts of the land which adjoin any large body of water, including oceans (sea shore) and lakes (lake shore). Similarly, the somewhat related term "bank" refers to the land alongside or sloping down to a river (riverbank) or to a body of water smaller than a lake. "Bank" is also used in some parts of the world to refer to an artificial ridge of earth intended to retain the water of a river or pond. In other places this may be called a levee.

While many scientific experts might agree on a common definition of the term "coast", the delineation of the extents of a coast differ according to jurisdiction, with many scientific and government authorities in various countries differing for economic and social policy reasons.

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Other Terrestrial Habitats

Ecozones where this habitat is found

Where you find Coastal

Map showing the location of the Coastal habitat

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