The lowest scores show the cleanest safest areas. This is the total length of coastline surveyed in each transect. Beaches can be wide and flat or narrow and steep. They often sit at the bottom of cliffs, embankments and shore platforms. Lower parts of the beach may be under water at high tide.
Cliffs can have a face of bare rock or be covered by soil and plants.
There may be a beach, shore platform or saltmarsh at the base of the cliff, along with signs that landslides have taken place. Embankments are often found along the banks of tidal rivers and can be covered by plants. Mudflats and saltmarsh develop in front of some embankments, but may be partly under water at high tide. Mudflats are often only visible at low tide, and may be found bordering tidal rivers, at the base of cliffs and in front of saltmarshes. Saltmarshes are found along the edge of many tidal rivers, often sitting in front of embankments and at the base of cliffs.