Conventional breakwaters are massive in size and generally associated with large scales in construction materials, effort and cost. The development of large breakwater schemes with poor design and management may trigger a number of adverse effects on neighbouring coastal environment, e.g. large amount of wave reflection, alteration of beach morphology, water quality deterioration and change of marine ecosystem. To alleviate the above problems, various ingenious designs of light-weight breakwaters
The coast is defined as the place where the land and the sea meet. This includes the adjacent waters, as well as the shoreline and extends so far landward and seaward (Post & Lundin, 1996). The width of the coastal zone varies due to the seasonal changes and any adjustments, whether natural or manmade. While preventative measures must be put in place to mitigate these effects, procedures must also be put in place to ensure that the coastal zone can bounce back from the impact of these effects. Martinez