Beaches have Satisfied Many People Throughout the World

For thousands of years, beaches have satisfied many people throughout the world. From China, to Europe, to America, beaches have it all: water activities, new animals, and intriguing plants. As one of the most visited and inhabited destinations,, do tourists and natives actually understand and know how the beaches come to form? Not many do! Beaches have an unique composition, they help surrounding ecosystems and wildlife, and provide enjoyable, day-consuming activities.?

When beaches form, many factors contribute to their creation. According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach, a beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles, that typically occurs in areas along the coast where wave and water current activity deposits and reworks sediments. The particles composing a beach are sand, gravel, shingle, and pebbles that were created from erosion. The particles are also biological of origin, such as mollusk shells or coralline algae. Some beaches contain man-made structures including a resorts on the beach, lifeguard posts, snack stands, and restrooms. There are also “wild beaches” which are beaches that have not been developed on. There are four sections that comprise a beach: the swash zone, beach face, wrack line, and berm. The swash zone is the area on the beach that is continuously covered and exposed by waves. The beach face is the sloping section below the berm, that is exposed slightly to the swash of waves. The wrack line is where the highest waves reach and collects debris is deposited by wave action. Last, the berm is the horizontal portion of a beach that stays dry unless the tide is unusually high or there is a storm; it tends to have sand dunes as well.?When visiting beaches,the composition and classification of sand parts is useful to know for safety and appreciation of these natural wonders.

Beaches provide plenty of benefits to the ecosystem, including a habitat for many types of animals and plants. Http://www.beachapedia.org/BeachEcology says, sandy beaches provide many ecosystem services, including sediment storage and transport, the breakdown of organic materials and pollutants, water filtration, and nutrient mineralization and recycling. The animals that live on beaches thrive in this ecosystem as well. Beaches create a nursery area for juvenile fishes, nesting sites for turtles, shorebirds, and pinnipeds, and allow numerous types of prey for birds and other terrestrial wildlife. The beach also creates an area distinctly known for certain plant types. The most commonly known are the latifolia, coconut palms, and beach grass. The latifolia, or sea lavender, is a shrub-like plant that grows along the seashore and is identified by it’s purple-blue clustered flowers. The coconut palms are trees that bare coconuts and are tall with leafy tops. The beach grass is dry greenish-brown grass that has roots which form an extensive system and keep sand from sliding out of place, thereby holding sand dunes intact to help stop encroaching tides. Various plants and animals rely on the beach while it also benefits the environment.

The beach has countless activities to do that are available at any ocean or lakeside destination. The most common beach sports include surfing, parasailing, flying kites, building sand castles, snorkeling, swimming with sharks, sailing, kayaking, playing beach volleyball and much more. These activities can be done solo or with a group. . With such a diverse set of entertainment, there is something for everyone, whether it is on land or in the water.

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