Littoral Transport

The movement of beach material in the littoral zone by waves and currents. Includes movement parallel (longshore drift) and sometimes perpendicular (cross-shore transport) to the shore; Also referred to as littoral drift.

Glossary of Terms

Seagrass Beds

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

Wave Period

The time for a wave crest to traverse a distance equal to one wavelength. The time for two successive wave crests to pass a fixed point.

Rill Marks

Tiny drainage channels in a beach caused by the flow seaward of water left in the sands of the upper part of the beach after the retreat of the tide or after the dying down of storm waves.

Littoral

Of or pertaining to a shore, especially of the sea. Often used as a general term for the coastal zone influenced by wave action, or, more specifically, the shore zone between the high and low water marks.

Bathymetric chart

A topographic map of the bed of the ocean, with depths indicated by contours (isobaths) drawn at regular intervals.

Survey, topographic

A survey which has, for its major purpose, the determination of the configuration (relief) of the surface of the land and the location of natural and artificial objects thereon.

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Littoral Transport