Maryam Yaghoubzadeh - Department of Environmental Science, Gorgan University, Gorgan, Iran
Afshin Danehkar - Department of Environmental Science , University of Tehran , Tehran, Iran

Coastal zones usually are exposed by numerous stressors. Waves, tides, winds and storms effect on the shores and will result in increasing coast sensitivity of thecoasts. Coastal vulnerability assessment depends on recognition of those factors affecting on the coasts that related to stresses. The concepts of sensitivity andvulnerability have commonly been used as criteria in the identification of areas, where requires special management or protection [1, 2, 3 and 4]. However, theterminology used in these studies lacks common, mutually agreed-upon definitions. In the coastal zones, sensitivity is the degree to which, marine featuresrespond to such stresses and vulnerability is the probability that a feature will be exposed to a stressor to which, it is sensitive [5]. To determine the sensitivity andvulnerability of the coastal zones, the existing stresses must be examined. The purpose of this study is to overview regarding the functional definitions of thesensitivity and vulnerability and also existing stresses in the coastal zones. According to these definitions and terms, a methodology has then been suggested forprioritization of the coefficient of stressors for determination of sensitivity and vulnerability in the coastal zones.