Description
Coastal lakes and lagoons are bodies of water occurring in topographic depressions (basins) that are separated from the sea by narrow barriers of land. A range of coastal water bodies exists from areas totally encompassed by land to areas primarily exposed to the sea. The enclosed features, which are primarily shielded from the sea, are called coastal ponds and lakes. Bodies of water with outlets to the sea are called coastal bays and lagoons depending on their shapes. Oertel (1985) called these features barrier lagoons because of their association with coastal barriers. In general, coastal lakes and lagoons form secondary coastlines behind the main ocean coastline. The interior shores of these secondary coasts are shielded from direct exposure to ocean waves.
Formation
Coastal lakes and lagoons are a natural result of barrier formation. The formation of coastal barriers causes separation of the coastal ocean from an inland body of water. The diversity of water-surface...
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Cross-references
Barrier
Beach Processes
Changing Sea Levels
Holocene Epoch
Longshore Sediment Transport
Spits
Tidal Prism
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Oertel, G.F. (2005). Coastal Lakes and Lagoons. In: Schwartz, M.L. (eds) Encyclopedia of Coastal Science. Encyclopedia of Earth Science Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3880-1_81
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3880-1_81
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
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