what is a "coastal forest" - can not find specific info!!!!?

Question

My daughter needs to make a booklet for school (third grade level) about different types of forest. We've done Tropical Rainforest, Deciduous Forest and Coniferous Forest so far. The next on her list is "Coastal Forest." She needs to know what kinds of trees grow there, what animal life can be found there, where coastal forests can be found and she needs a photo to insert in her word doc.
I'm frustrated because "coastal forest" can mean so many things! There's coastal forest in Alaska and also in England and in Texas and in Hawaii!! And they're all totally different! The internet hits we're finding are not helping.
Can anyone make an educated guess as to what her teacher wants here?

Answer 1

You are right, coastal forest can mean so many things. What the teacher is probably looking for is a forest that is different to the other types of forest you identify, because of the fact it occurs along or is in someway affected by the coast. Here are some examples:

- Mangrove forest;
- Estuarine swamp forest;
- Littoral rainforest;

You can get many types of "forest" occurring on coast lines whether they be the ocean or lakes. They are usually characterised by their interactions with the environment created by the ocean or other water body they are adjacent to. Quite often, the vegetation may be a mixture of swamp, grassland, tall forest and woodland but given the more general name of "forest"

Answer 2

I think the Northern California Coastal Forests would qualify here - they are also known as the "Home of Giants" - otherwise known as the redwoods.
Oregon and Washington State also have coastal forests.
For googling I might look up:
Coastal forests California, Oregon or Washington.
I think that some Mangrove forests may also qualify, but I would have to look that up.

Answer 3

A coastal forest is a forest that grows along a coastline, and can be any of the forests you mentioned previously. This diversity is probably what her teacher is getting at. There is no single correct answer.