Table A-3.  Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) Shore Type classification
(after Peterson et al. [2002])

NOAA ESI

ESI No.

Description

1A

Exposed rocky shores; exposed rocky banks

1B

Exposed, solid man-made structures

1C

Exposed rocky cliffs with boulder talus base

2A

Exposed wave-cut platforms in bedrock, mud, or clay

2B

Exposed scarps and steep slopes in clay

3A

Fine- to medium-grained sand beaches

3B

Scarps and steep slopes in sand

3C

Tundra cliffs

4

Coarse-grained sand beaches

5

Mixed sand and gravel beaches

6A

Gravel beaches; Gravel Beaches (granules and pebbles

6B

Gravel Beaches (cobbles and boulders)

6C

Rip rap (man-made)

7

Exposed tidal flats

8A

Sheltered scarps in bedrock, mud, or clay; Sheltered rocky shores (impermeable)

8B

Sheltered, solid man-made structures; Sheltered rocky shores (permeable)

8C

Sheltered rip rap

8D

Sheltered rocky rubble shores

8E

Peat shorelines

9A

Sheltered tidal flats

9B

Vegetated low banks

9C

Hypersaline tidal flats

10A

Salt- and brackish-water marshes

10B

Freshwater marshes

10C

Swamps

10D

Scrub-shrub wetlands; ,angroves

10E

Inundated low-lying tundra