Coastal protection

Three different protection/defence definitions are used as follows:

Definition of Coastal protection: Measures aimed at protecting the coast against coastline retreat, thus protecting settlements, infrastructure, the coast and the hinterland from erosion often at the expense of losing the beach and the dynamic coastal landscape. Coastal protection often consists of hard structures such as revetments, breakwaters or groynes. This is the common definition for Coastal protection, other definitions can be discussed in the article

See also:

• Applicability of detached breakwaters
• Detached breakwaters
• Detached shore parallel breakwaters
• Groynes
• Groynes as shore protection
• Bulkheads
• Port breakwaters and coastal erosion
• Sand-filled geosystems in coastal engineering
• Stability of rubble mound breakwaters and shore revetments

Definition of Sea defence: Measures aiming at protecting low-lying coast and coastal hinterland against flooding caused by the combined effect of storm surge and high astronomical tides. Sea defence often consists of dikes or seawalls of some kind, or artificial dunes. This is the common definition for Sea defence, other definitions can be discussed in the article

See also:

• Hard coastal protection structures
• Seawalls and revetments
• Revetments
• Light revetments built-in into artificial dunes
• Overtopping resistant dikes

Definition of Shore protection: Measures aiming at protecting, preserving or restoring the shore and the dynamic coastal landscape as well as protecting against coastline retreat to the extent possible. This is the common definition for Shore protection, other definitions can be discussed in the article

See also:

• Sand by-pass systems
• Beach nourishment
• Shoreface nourishment
• Shore nourishment
• Beach drainage
• Perched beaches
• Dynamics, threats and management of dunes
• Cliff stabilisation
• Dune stabilisation
• Dynamics, threats and management of dunes
• Floating breakwaters
• Artificial reefs
• Natural shore protecting barriers
• Restoration of salt marshes and mudflats
• Dynamics, threats and management of biogenic reefs
• Shore protection vegetation
• Shoreline management