Zoning of coastal environments based on sediment textural and geochemical characteristics and their major oceanographic constraints: A case study in South Korea

•Coastal zoning aids environmental impact assessment.•Sediment textural and geochemical properties are key characters affecting zoning.•This (Ahn et al., 2001) study applies sediment characters to science-based marine spatial planning.•The South Korean coast can be scientifically divided into three zones. The three zones partly coincide with the previous arbitrarily categorized blocks.•A primary factor constraining the zoning in this case study is tidal range.