Legal Definitions - maritima incrementa

Maritima incrementa refers to the gradual, natural increase of land along a coastline or shoreline due to the action of the sea. This typically involves the slow deposition of sand, silt, or other materials by ocean currents, tides, or waves, which adds new land to existing coastal property.

• Coastal Property Expansion: Imagine a family that owns a beachfront cottage. Over several decades, consistent ocean currents and wave action slowly deposit fine sand along their shore, gradually pushing the high-water mark further out to sea. This natural process adds a strip of new, usable land to their property.

  This scenario illustrates maritima incrementa because the family's land is gradually increasing in size due to natural marine processes (sand deposition by ocean currents and waves). The new land is gained directly from the sea.

• Formation of a Sand Spit: Consider a specific area where a river meets the ocean. Strong ocean currents consistently carry sand and sediment, depositing them at the river's mouth. Over many years, this natural deposition gradually forms a long, narrow sand spit that extends further into the ocean, eventually becoming a permanent feature above the high tide line.

  This is an example of maritima incrementa because the sand spit, which is new land, has been gradually and naturally formed by the sea's action (ocean currents depositing sediment). This new land is an increase directly from the marine environment.

• Island Growth: Picture a small, uninhabited island in a shallow bay. Due to prevailing ocean currents carrying sand and shell fragments, one side of the island experiences consistent sediment accumulation. Over many years, this accumulation causes that side of the island's shoreline to expand noticeably, making the island larger than it was previously.

  Here, the island's expansion is a clear instance of maritima incrementa. The additional land is formed gradually and naturally by the sea's action, increasing the island's total area.