barrier beach

noun
1.
a sand ridge that rises slightly above the surface of the sea and runs roughly parallel to the shore, from which it is separated by a lagoon.
Examples from the web for barrier beach
  • Special emphasis is placed on the protection of the fragile barrier beach environment.
  • The shifting sands of the barrier beach are constantly exposed to ocean waves, currents, and tides.
  • Defines the boundaries of the four barrier beach plains that comprise the littoral cell.
  • The removal of the cottages will clean up a vandalized and unsafe area and restore the barrier beach.
  • The spit acted as a protective arm, or barrier beach, and this allowed the extensive salt marsh to develop.
  • The barrier beach system, dunes, and salt marshes provide storm protection for the low-lying inland areas.
  • The marsh is a lagoon wetland and swamp forest that has developed behind a narrow barrier beach.