Sandy shores, UK

Dunes with marram grass planted to stabilise the sands, Mallaig, Scotland


The shore is the point at which the land meets the sea, and shores consist of varying substrates including mud, rocks, pebbles, shingle and sand (1). Sand is formed by the gradual erosion of rocks and shells constantly battered by the sea. Eventually, fragments are broken down into small enough particles that they can be suspended in the water and carried by a process called longshore drift, finally being deposited further along the coast (2).

The changing tide creates a variety of different habitats on sandy shores...