Shaping the coast

The sea is a windy place.

The wind makes waves

Waves become tall and break as the sea becomes shallow.

Some coasts are always battered by waves.

Some coasts don’t get big waves.

Big waves during storms can erode the coastline.

An eroding coast.

Rocks falling from a cliff face

This sea wall protects the cliff from more erosion.

Walls have been built to stop the top of the cliff falling onto people on the beach.

Some coasts have sand dunes.

Mangroves are nature’s way of protecting the coast from storms.

Coastal vegetation protects sand dunes.