JUHI CHOUDHARY

SOME DEFINITIONS:

1. ESTUARY: It is the tidal mouth of a great river, where

tides meets the current.
2. An estuarine system is a coastal indentation that has a
restricted connection to the ocean and remains open at
least intermittently. The estuarine system can be sub
divided into 3 regions: a) a tidal zone, b) a mixing zone-
the estuary proper c) a near shore turbid zone.
3. WETLANDS: It is an area of marsh, pit, swamps with
permanent or periodic flooding, natural or artificial
water, marine, brackish water, or fresh in which the low
tide line should not exceed 6m. It also includes riparian
zones.
4. LAGOONS: It is a shallow body of water separated from
larger body of water by barrier islands or reefs.
5. BACKWATERS: It is a part of river in which there is a
little or no current, in which the water is stagnant. It can
also be referred as a branch of main river, which lies
alongside and then rejoins it, on to a body of water in a
main river, backed up by the tide or by an obstruction
such as dam.
6. MUD BANKS: The lifting up of the silt-laden bottom
waters which is kept in the state of suspension
extending over wide regions known popularly as the
mud banks.
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7. MANGROVES: Mangroves are a specialised group of

salt-tolerant, terrestrial plants that inhabit shorelines
between low and high tide levels.
8. CORAL REEFS: Coral reefs are large and complex
association of organisms that have a different habitat
types in the same system, having rocky and sandy
substratum for coral growth.
9. REMOTE SENSING: It is the science or technology to
collect thematic and geometric information of an
objective without having any physical contact with the
object.
10. GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS): GIS
are basically integrated computer based systems which
allow the input of digital geo-referenced data to
produce maps and other textual, graphical and tabular
output.
11. COASTAL REGULATION ZONE(CRZ): The coastal
stretch influenced by tidal action in the landward side
up to 500m from the high tide line (HTL) and the land
between the low tide line (LTL) and the HTL as CRZ.
12. INTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE
MANAGEMENT(ICZM): A continuous and dynamic
process that unites the government and the community,
science and management, sectoral and public interests
in preparing and implementing an integrated plan for
the protection and development of coastal systems and
resources.
13. COASTAL ZONE: It is the interface between land
and the sea.
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14. EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE(EEZ): It is a sea zone

over which a state has a special right over the
exploration and use of marine resources.
15. ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ASSESSMENT(EIA): It is a
process of evaluating the likely environmental impacts
of a proposed project or development, taking into
account inter-related socio-economic, cultural and
human health impacts, both beneficial and adverse.
16. BARRIER REEF: An elongated reef separated from
the land mass by some distance by a lagoon.
17. FRINGING REEF: the reef attached to the land
mass.
18. ATOLL: Ring shaped reefs enclosing land less
region.
19. BEACH: the mass of wave washed sediments, which
marks the seaward limits of the shore.
20. FJORD: Narrow steep walled ocean inlet.
21. SHORE LINE: The boundary where the land and
water meets.
22. TIDE: The regular rise and fall of sea water level,
resulting from the gravitational effects of the sun and
the moon on the earth.
23. WAVE: Movement of water generally induced at
the surface, as a result of wind stress, it may also be
induced at depth by other factors.
24. CURRENT: The movement of water in the ocean,
the surface currents are being driven by rotation of the
earth, others maybe induced by density difference.
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25. BAY: Extension of the sea or ocean into the land

mass, being completely land locked on three sides.
26. CONTINENTAL SLOPE: Relatively steep slope lying
seaward of the continental shelf.
27. CONTINENTAL RISE: The gentle slope that lies
seaward of the continental slope.
28. CONTINENTAL SHELF: The shallow terrace adjacent
to the continent that extends from the low water line to
the continental slope.
29. EUPHOTIC ZONE: The upper layer of water, which
receives the sunlight, where photosynthesis occurs.
30. SEA: The localised portion of the ocean having
continuity with oceanic realm.