: What is the difference between "coastline" and "tidal
Shoreline"?

They are referring to the estuary areas where there are thousands of mangrove
islands and small inlets. If you draw a straight "coastline" from Miami to
Naples you would get about 150 miles but if you followed each little island and
inlet up into the Everglades you get thousands of miles. I'm sure the same
would be true all along the bayou country of the Gulf coast. These "shorelines"
are easier to measure up in Tampa Bay/St Pete since most of them are seawalled.
;-(