Book excerpt: Muddy coasts are land-sea transitional environments commonly found along low-energy shorelines which either receive large annual supplies of muddy sediments, or where unconsolidated muddy deposits are being eroded by wave action.In providing 21 case studies in different parts of the world this book provides an up-to-date review of the state of the art in muddy coast research. Issues dealing with hydrodynamics and suspended matter transport, erosion, deposition, and sediment budgets on tidal flats, primary production, nutrient fluxes and mineralization in lagoons are treated in a multi disciplinary manner. Most articles deal with issues which are of relevance with respect to global warming and future sea level rise.