Restless Ribbons Of Sand: Atlantic & Gulf Coastal Barriers

From the rocky headlands of Maine to the arid salt flats of south Texas, coastal barriers form a protective fringe along 2,700 miles of our nation's shoreline. Although these barriers of sand, shell, and gravel exist on all coastlines of the United States, they are most well developed along the Atlantic and gulf coasts. These barriers are the fragile front lines of defense against wind and tidal energies and especially the ravages of frequent winter storms and occasional hurricanes. As coastal barriers endlessly shift into a variety of shapes and sizes, they absorb ocean energies, buffering the mainland and landward aquatic habitats from the normal scour of waves and currents and the powerful destructive force of hurricanes or northeasters. This brochure, beautifully illustrated with color photographs, discusses the barrier systems of our Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts.