![]() Marine biologists and others divide the intertidal region into three zones (low, middle, and high), based on the overall average exposure of the zone. The rock, seen at low tide, exhibits typical intertidal zonation. See this discussion on beach ecology.Ī typical rocky shore can be divided into a spray zone or splash zone (also known as the supratidal zone), which is above the spring high-tide line and is covered by water only during storms, and an intertidal zone, which lies between the high and low tidal extremes.Ī rock on a beach near Kalaloch, Washington. Edges of habitats, in this case the dry sand beach/rocky shore and the sea, are themselves often significant ecologies. Temperature extremes within some microclimates in the littoral zone can be moderated by local features and larger plants such as mangroves.Īdaption in the littoral zone is all about making use of nutrients supplied in high volume on a regular basis from the sea which are actively moved to the zone by tides and ocean swells. With the intertidal zone's high exposure to the sun the temperature range can be anything from very hot with full sun to near freezing in colder climates. The action of waves can dislodge residents in the intertidal zone. Water is available regularly with the tides but varies from fresh with rain and river flows to highly saline and dry salt with drying between tidal inundations. Organisms in the intertidal zone are adapted to an environment of harsh extremes. The area can be a narrow strip, as in Pacific islands that have only a narrow tidal range, or can include a much wider expanse of shoreline where a shallow beach slope interacts with wider tidal range. ![]() This area can include many different types of habitats, including steep rocky cliffs, sandy beaches, or wetlands. The intertidal zone (sometimes referred to as the littoral zone) is the area that is exposed to the air at low tide and underwater at high tide (the area between the low and high tide lines). ![]()
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