Permeable Groyne

A groyne with openings or voids large enough to permit passage of appreciable quantities of littoral drift through the structure.

Glossary of Terms

Ecosystem

The living organisms and the nonliving environment interacting in a given area, encompassing the relationships between biological, geochemical, and geophysical systems.

A community or several communities of organisms together with their physical environment. A conceptual view of interaction within and independence among species and communities emphasizing the nature of the flow of material and energy among these parts and the feedback loops from one part to another.

Siltation

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.

Marsh, Salt

A marsh periodically flooded by salt water.

Backshore

The generally dry portion of the beach between the berm crest and the vegetation line that is submerged only during very high sea levels and eroded only during moderate to strong wave events.

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.

Mean Tide Level

A plane midway between mean high water and mean low water. Not necessarily equal to mean sea level. Also referred to as half-tide level.

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Permeable Groyne