Shoreline

The process by which the shore gains on the sea by sediment accumulation (sand, in particular), their volume exceeding the capacity of waves and currents to move them.

Part of the continent below sea level, from the coastal zone up to 200 m deep. The continental shelf ends with the continental slope, which continues with a steep drop to the abyssal plains.

Part of slow-flowing aquatic environments that extend from the shore to the limit of light penetration.

Opening by which a lagoon communicates with the sea.

Sediment bar, mainly built by the waves, which is parallel or near the coastline and to which it is most often attached at one end. It separates the sea from a quieter coastal area, of the lagoon type, sheltered from the waves.

Geomorphological entity marking the boundary between continents and oceans.

Upper part of a coastal marsh, consisting of solid mud, covered with grass and submerged at high tides.

Coastal area corresponding to the upper part of the midlittoral zone and the lower part of the infralittoral zone. The schorre is generally a marsh and colonised by halophytic plants. It is covered only at high tides.

Law transposing the 2000 Water Framework Directive (WFD), which harmonises European regulations on water management and introduces the obligation to protect and restore the quality of water and aquatic environments in the European Union. Environmental objectives must be set for all aquatic environments (rivers, lakes, coastal waters - coastal and transitional waters - and groundwater) by 2015: achievement of good water status, no deterioration of resources and reduction or elimination of discharges of hazardous substances. The novelty of the concept of "good status" now relies on the proper functioning of aquatic environments taking into account all components of the environment: water, wildlife, flora and habitats.

Chlorophyllous aquatic plant having no leaves, no roots, no vessels, no flowers, no seeds, whose main photosynthetic pigments are chlorophylls a and b. As the name suggests, they are usually green in color.

Algae phylum whose sometimes exclusive major pigment is chlorophyll β, associated with carotene and xanthophyll. Their only reproductive organs are sporocysts and gametocysts. Their plastids elaborate starch as in the Phanerogamous. It includes three classes: Chlorophyceae, Zygophyceae and Charophyceae.