There are two main types of coastal protection measures - hard engineering and soft engineering. Hard engineering uses man-made structures like seawalls, breakwaters, and groynes to absorb wave energy. Soft engineering works with natural systems through beach nourishment, planting vegetation to stabilize dunes and mangroves, and encouraging coral reef growth to reduce wave energy hitting the shore. Both approaches have advantages in protecting the coastline from erosion but also have disadvantages including high costs and potential environmental impacts.