| Shoreline or Coast | Area where the land meets the ocean |
| Beaches | Shorelines made of sand |
| Waves | They can wear away the land and expose a rocky shore or they can deposit sand along the shore and form a beach |
| Islands | Pieces of land surrounded by water on all sides |
| Barrier Islands | Pieces of land surrounded with water on all sides, with sandy beaches |
| Barrier Islands Function | They occur naturally and protect the mainland from the effects of waves on its shore |
| Estuaries | Area where a river meets the ocean; they have a mixture of freshwater and saltwater |
| Inlets | Water-filled spaces between barrier islands; Ocean currents and storms can change the shape of its opening |
| Crest | Highest part of a wave |
| Trough | Lowest part of a wave |
| Tsunamis | Giant sea waves caused by underwater earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or landslides |
| Currents | Flowing streams of water that move continuously throughout he ocean in a specific direction |
| Surface Currents | These currents are caused by the movement of the Earth and by the force and direction of the wind |
| Warm Surface Currents | These currents are driven by Earth's rotation from the tropics to higher latitudes |
| Cold Surface Currents | These currents are driven by Earth's rotation from the polar latitudes toward the equator |
| Tides | The regular rise and fall of waters in oceans and seas; they are caused by the pull on the Moon's gravity on Earth |
| Natural Resources | Water, Oil and Wood |
| Pollution | Examples include careless dumping of trash on land; oil spills in oceans and smoke and fumes from burning fuels that ruins the air |
| Conservation Efforts | Human activities that help keep the natural resources on Earth available and clear of pollution |
| Ways farmers can reduce erosion on farmland | Installing fence lines or planting trees, bushes or grass |
