The estuary types in coastal explorer are based on these papers:
- Day, J.H. (1981). Estuarine ecology with particular reference to southern Africa.
- J. Day (Ed). A.A. Balkema, Cape Town, 1981. 411pp.Heath, R.A. (1976). Broad classification of New Zealand estuaries with respect to residence times. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research: 10 (3): 429-444.
- Healy, T.R.; Kirk, R.M. (1982). Coasts. Pp. 81-104 in Soons JM, Selby MJ, editors. Landforms of New Zealand. Longman Paul, Auckland. 402pp.
- Hume, T.M.; Herdendorf, C.E. (1988). A geomorphic classification of estuaries and its application to coastal resource management - A New Zealand example. Journal of Ocean and Shoreline Management 11: 249–274.
- Hume, T.M.; Herdendorf, C.E. (1993). On the use of empirical stability relationships for characterising inlets. Journal of Coastal Research 9: 413–422.
- Hume, T.; Snelder, T.; Weatherhead, M.; Liefting, R. (2007). A controlling factor approach to estuary classification. Journal of Ocean and Coastal Management. Volume 50, Issues 11–12, Pp. 905–929. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2007.05.009
- Pritchard, D.W. (1967). Observation of circulation in coastal plain estuaries. In: Lauff GH, editor. Estuaries, Washington, DC: American Association for the Advancement of Science. p.3-5.