Beaches are only one type of coastal setting.
An excerpt from the California Coastal Commission's California Coastal Resource Guide on beaches provides a persective on the variability within even one type of coastal setting. One fundamental influence on beaches is the source of the sand that makes up a beach. One issue that is a focus of coastal environmental concerns is Coastal Erosion . There are other topics of concern in the coastal environment. The US Geological Survey Center for Coastal Geology provides a primer of other coastal issues called Coasts in Crisis .