Fauna

The entire group of animals found in an area.

Glossary of Terms

A wave moving landward.

The input of non-calcareous fine-grained sediments to the nearshore marine environment, or the settling out of fine-grained sediments on the sea floor.

The settling of fine-grained particles to the sea bottom.

Breakwater

A man-made structure protecting a shore area, harbor, anchorage, or basin from waves.

Scarp, beach

An almost vertical slope along the beach caused by erosion by wave action. It may vary in height from a few cm to a metre or so, depending on wave action and the nature and composition of the beach.

A steep slope, usually along the foreshore and/or at the vegetation line formed by wave attack.

Seagrass Beds

Benthic communities, usually on shallow, sandy or muddy bottoms, dominated by grasslike marine plants.

Rock

An aggregate of one or more minerals; or a body of undifferentiated mineral matter. The three classes of rocks are: (a) igneous - crystalline rocks formed from molten material (e.g. granite and basalt); (b) sedimentary - resulting from the consolidation of loose sediment that has accumulated in layers (e.g. sandstone, shale and limestone); (c) metamorphic - formed from pre-exisiting rock as a result of burial, heat and pressure.

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Fauna