Breakwater (structure) - Definition and Overview

Breakwaters are structures constructed on coasts as part of coastal defense. They are constructed some distance away from the coast or built with one end linked to the coast.

When oncoming waves hit these breakwaters, their erosive power is concentrated on these structures some distance away from the coast. In this way, there is an area of slack water behind the breakwaters. Deposition occurs in these waters and beaches can be built up or extended in these waters. However, nearby unprotected sections of the beaches does not receive fresh supplies of eroded sediments and may gradually shrink due to erosion.