Strandline - secrets of the seashore

Forces

During a raging storm the sea may appear to be a living thing, and even on the calmest day it is never completely at rest. The natural forces that shape our coastline are the same that contribute to the formation of the strandline. Ocean currents are caused by many factors, including wind and the earth's movement - these currents may transport objects from miles away, while wave energy scours the sea bed and casts animal remains upon the shore. As the gravitational pulls from the moon and the sun tug at the oceans, the natural rhythms of the tide deposit animal remains, creating the strandline and revealing the life of the inter-tidal zone.

How tides work

How waves work