Coastal Very little (or no) Low energy Intermittent entrance Similar to a small Lagoon/ freshwater and central basin (often closed) WDE. Frequently Strandplain, river-sediment dominates. characterised by isolated from the (CL/SP) input. No fluvial Flanked by small barrier and tidal sea, and slow bayhead delta areas of intertidal delta deposits. Tides infilling. environments. attenuated/excluded. Riverine sediment Wide tidal channel Wide funnel-shaped Shifting channels Floodplain/ network flanked by entrance containing and sand banks, Estuary, alluvial plain. large areas of tidal sand banks, fine sediments (TDE) inter- and sub-tidal large tidal exchange. trapped in inter- & environments. sub-tidal environments. Riverine sediment Tidal channel Wide funnel-shaped Represents a TDE input. Floodplain/ network acts as entrance containing mostly infilled by (TDD) alluvial plain, conduit for tidal sand banks that sediment. River shifting channel. sediments. may have merged inputs are Smaller intertidal with intertidal predominantly area. environments. transported offshore. Tidal Creek, Very little (or no) Wide channel Wide funnel-shaped Similar to a TDE, (TC) freshwater and network flanked by entrance that does contains sediment river-sediment large areas of not contain sand derived from marine input. No fluvial inter- & sub-tidal banks, large tidal sources only bayhead delta environments. exchange.
Coastal Lagoon/ Strandplain, (CL/SP) Very little (or no) freshwater and river-sediment input. No fluvial bayhead delta Low energy central basin dominates. Flanked by small areas of intertidal environments. Intermittent entrance (often closed) characterised by barrier and tidal delta deposits. Tides attenuated/excluded. Similar to a small WDE. Frequently isolated from the sea, and slow infilling. Estuary, (TDE) Riverine sediment Floodplain/ alluvial plain. Wide tidal channel network flanked by large areas of inter- and sub-tidal environments. Wide funnel-shaped entrance containing tidal sand banks, large tidal exchange. Shifting channels and sand banks, fine sediments trapped in inter- & sub-tidal environments. (TDD) Riverine sediment input. Floodplain/ alluvial plain, shifting channel. Tidal channel network acts as conduit for sediments. Smaller intertidal area. Wide funnel-shaped entrance containing tidal sand banks that may have merged with intertidal environments. Represents a TDE mostly infilled by sediment. River inputs are predominantly transported offshore. Tidal Creek, (TC) Very little (or no) freshwater and river-sediment input. No fluvial bayhead delta Wide channel network flanked by large areas of inter- & sub-tidal environments. Wide funnel-shaped entrance that does not contain sand banks, large tidal exchange. Similar to a TDE, contains sediment derived from marine sources only
interim-classification-aquatic-ecosystems-mdb.docx