Coastal Typology

Coastal Types, Ecosystems and Habitats
The 2nd phase of the ECMEN project includes the relationship between important geological, oceanographic characteristics and the various coastal landscapes, formations/systems and groups of habitat types.

The main parameters and criteria
For our purposes the following three parameters were considered most important for the distinction of the main coastal landscape types.

Predominant substrate in the littoral zone; the rationale of this parameter is the contribution it makes to presence of clastic and sedimentary material, a vital condition for the development of a whole range of coastal systems (see below) and habitats. We distinguish:

hard rocks: rocks which are extremely resistant to erosion (mostly supplying almost no sedimentary material to the littoral zone, apart from river sediment); this category includes rocks made of hard limestones, dolomite, schists, calcschists, micaschists, gneiss, granite, Old red sandstone, quartsites, hard volcanic and igneous rocks, hard acidic rocks, crystalline rocks and metamorphic rocks
soft rocks: rocks with a lower resistance to erosion (mostly supplying moderate amounts of clastic and sedimentary material to the littoral zone); this category includes most sandstones and Pleistocene glacial deposits, loess, shales, Mesozoic sands, marls, chalk, gypsum, flysch, secundary and soft limestones and gravel
recent sediments: loose soils consisting of small particles with a low resistance to erosion (mostly supplying relatively large amounts of sediments in the littoral zone); this category includes alluvial and diluvial sediments of Holocene and late Pleistocene origin.

Slope of the coastal zone in a wider context (from the sublittoral zone up to a kilometre inland; the rationale of this parameter is the space available for the development of intertidal and supratidal systems and habitats. We distinguish:

high and cliffed coasts (reaching over 100 m above sea level in the first 5 km from high water mark);
coastal plains, which usually provide ample room for the development of sedimentary and aeolian systems.

Tidal regime, especially in sedimentary coastal plains; the rationale of this parameter is that the formation and evolution of coastal landscapes and habitats depend on the relative impact of tidal regime, longshore drift, wave climate or river flow in the littoral zone. As a meso- and macrotidal regimes (2-4 m and above 4 m respectively) usually overshadow other forces, we distinguish:

tide-dominated coasts (tidal range above 2 m);
wave-dominated coasts (tidal range below 2 m).

In a worldwide overview it could be considered to add coral reef development as an extra parameter. However, we have made an attempt to develop an application for Europe. A preliminary survey of European coastlines shows that: · there is no clear distinction (with regard to the presence of coastal systems and habitats) between higher and lower soft rock coasts because both usually show eroding cliffs contributing to the input of material in the littoral zone. · The sedimentary coasts are usually just plains; so here is not a cliffed and steep coast type.

This leaves us with a European typology of five landscape types (1st level):

Provisional 1^st level Coastal Typology for Europe © EUCC 1998

ßDominant landscape types a-e & their location Þcomponents

1a. Hard rock, cliffed coasts

Macro-meso tidal Atlantic coasts of north & western Europe and karstic areas of the micro-tidal Mediterranean & Black Seas Sea cliffs, cliff islands, archipelagos, fjords and sea lochs, rias, rocky shores with caves, bay and pocket dunes, river mouths and small estuaries and embayments

1b. Hard rock coastal plains

Micro tidal shores of the Baltic including Sweden & eastern Denmark, the Mediterranean & Black Seas & meso-tidal shores of Scottish fjards Skerry coasts, fjards, river mouths, Arctic tidal plains, and Karstic shores

2. Soft rock coasts

Meso-macro tidal areas of the southern North Sea, southern Portugal & the micro-tidal southern Baltic and parts of the Black sea coast Soft rock glacial cliffs tidal bedrock plains, other friable sea cliffs with e.g. shale and sandstone. Soft rock coastal bedrock plains

3a. Tide-dominated sediment. Plains

Macro-meso tidal areas Atlantic & North Sea & southern North Sea coasts including the Wadden Sea Barrier shingle/dune coasts, sea lagoons, barrier shingle/dune islands, estuaries, freshwater tidal deltas and dune-wetland coasts

3b. Wave-dominated sediment. Plains

Micro tidal zones of the Baltic, Mediterranean and Black Seas. Lagoons, Black Sea limans, river deltas, dune coasts, Baltic barrier-haff-delta coasts, German Baltic bodden coast

In the next table a more detailed level for the definition of those coastal systems most frequently associated with the five 1^st level typological classification.

Detailed preliminary Level 2 Coastal Typology for Europe

Combinations of coastal landscape types and of natural systems and habitats (with special reference to the EU Habitats and Species Directive), © EUCC 1998

Þ habitats
ß landscape types Cliff Shingle Kelp Estuary Wet-land Dune Sand bank Salt marsh Mud-flat Lagoon Sea Grass

1a. Hard rock, cliffed coasts

sea cliffs, cliff islands, archipelagos
Norwegian fjords and Scottish sea lochs
Atlantic rias
Rocky with caves, bay and pocket dunes
river mouths
Atlantic & North Sea estuaries
Karstic cliffs Mediterranean & Black seas
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**
**
**
*
*
**
*
*
*
*
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*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
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*
*
**
*
*
*

*
*
*

*
*
*

*

*

*

1b. Hard rock coastal plains Cl Sh Ke Es W Du Sb Sm Mf La Gr

Baltic skerry coasts
Baltic & Scottish fjards
river mouths
Arctic tidal plains
Karstic rock Mediterranean & Black seas
**
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

*
*
*
*
*

2. Soft rock coasts Cl Sh Ke Es W Du Sb SM Mf La Gr

soft rock cliffs on tidal bedrock plains
high & low glacial sea cliffs
Atlantic rias
river mouths
barrier shingle coasts
Atlantic & North Sea estuaries
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**
**
*
*
*
*
*
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*
*
*
*
*
*
*
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*
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*
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*

*
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*

3a. Tide-dominated sediment. plains Cl Sh Ke Es W Du Sb Sm Mf La Gr

barrier shingle coasts
low earth cliff coasts
Atlantic & North Sea lagoons
barrier dune islands
Atlantic & North Sea estuaries
Freshwater tidal deltas
barrier dune coasts
dune-wetland coasts
**
*
*
*

* *
*
*
*
*
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*
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*
*
*
*

**
**
*
*
*
*
**

*
*
*
*
*
*
*

3b. Wave-dominated sediment. plains Cl Sh Ke Es W Du Sb Sm Mf La Gr

lagoons in microtidal zones
Black Sea limans
river deltas in microtidal zones
dune coasts in microtidal zones
Baltic barrier-haff-delta coasts
German Baltic bodden coast
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
**
**
*
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*
*
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*

Cliffs (Cl): Sea cliff habitats (EU Habitats Directive 18.21, 18.22, 18.23)
Shingle (Sh): Stony banks and shingle habitats (17.2, 17.3)
Kelp (Ke): Kelp forests
Estuary (Es): Marine and tidal habitats (13.2)
Wetland (W): (Temporary) wetland habitats
Dune (Du): Sea dune habitats (16) and Machairs in Ireland (1A)
Sandbank (Sb): Sandbanks (11.25)
Salt marsh (Sm): Salt marshes, steppes and meadows (15.10, 15.11, 15.12, 15.14, 15.15, 15.16, 5.17)
Mud flat (Mf): Mud flats and sand flats (14)
Lagoon (La): Lagoon habitats (21)
Sea grass (Gr): Zostera fields and Mediterranean Posidonia fields (11.34)
* habitat may occur in this system
** habitat usually occurs in this system