The three above elements are depicted in
Figure 1.1, which shows, for a sandy beach coast, the strength of interaction between coastal and ocean processes and uses, termed here the ‘degree of coastlines’, against the distance away from the immediate coast.
Figure 1.1 could be repeated for other coastal environments, such as delta coasts, beach/barrier systems and estuarine coasts, where the various physical and biological processes of these environments will determine the ‘degrees of coastalness’. On deltaic coasts, for example, important determining factors would be the degree of salt water penetration in to fresh surface- and groundwater systems, and the seaward distance to which sediments of terrestrial origin are moved.