The coastline that once upon a time (until the 1920s) used to change naturally in response to the rise and fall of the sea level and sedimentation and erosion of the beaches is now fixed artificially by the embankment which prevents ingress of the sea and thus stops the establishment of conditions linked to seawater. The construction of these sea walls and further embankments circumscribing the lagoon and separating it from the plain of Friuli was initially planned to convert some marshy, supposedly “unhealthy” areas into productive agricultural land. In more recent years, the embankments have been raised to assure the safety of public works, people and agricultural areas during spring tides and exceptional storm surges.