Final answer:
Groins, Jetties, Breakwaters, and Seawalls are all forms of coastal protection structures designed to combat shore erosion, control sediment, prevent flooding, and preserve navigable water depths.
Step-by-step explanation:
Groins, Jetties, Breakwaters, and Seawalls are all considered types of coastal protection structures. These structures are specifically designed to protect shorelines from erosion, control sand movement, prevent coastal flooding, and maintain harbor water depths. They work by interrupting the natural processes of sediment transport along the coast. Groins are barriers built perpendicular to the shoreline to trap sand moving along the coast, while Jetties are generally built in pairs at the entrances to rivers and harbors to prevent sediment from clogging navigation channels. Breakwaters are structures constructed parallel to the shoreline or around harbors to protect against strong waves and storm surge, creating calm waters for boat mooring and shoreline protection. Seawalls are robust walls built parallel to the coast to prevent inland areas from wave action and flooding.
Cities with low elevations near oceans may incorporate such structures as part of their adaptation strategies to rising sea levels, preventing coastal erosion and property damage. These features, along with the conservation of natural elements like wetlands, are crucial in the face of climate change impacts on coastal communities.