The coastal zone is shaped by fundamental physical processes that interact with biological and chemical processes along the boundary between the land and deep ocean. This unit introduces students to the study of coastal and marine geoscience with a focus on physical processes in the nearshore (waves, tides, currents) that transport sediments and create changes in coastal morphology. The spectacular Western Australian coastline provides a natural laboratory in which to develop an understanding of coastal physical processes and their interactions with biological and chemical processes and the factors that drive coastline changes over a range of timescales. This knowledge can then be used to examine how coastlines may evolve in coming decades as a result of rising sea levels and climate change.