The intertidal zone is the area
where the ocean meets the land between high and low tides
. A tide pool within Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Intertidal zones exist anywhere the ocean meets the land, from steep, rocky ledges to long, sloping sandy beaches and mudflats that can extend for hundreds of meters.
What are some physical stresses of living in the rocky intertidal zone?
Because the intertidal zone is a transition zone between the land and the sea, organisms living in this zone are subject to stresses related to
temperature, desiccation, oxygen depletion and reduced opportunities for feeding
. At low tide, marine organisms face both heat stress and desiccation stress.
What are the conditions like in the rocky intertidal zone?
Organisms living within the intertidal must
be hardy and adaptable to tolerate conditions underwater as well as exposure to air
. During high tide, when the intertidal is covered with water, organisms must be able to bear the brunt of oncoming waves that can easily dislodge organisms not secured to their substrate.
What is the rocky intertidal?
The rocky shores that lie at the edge of the ocean, between the high and low tides
, are called the rocky intertidal. Rocky intertidal areas along the west coast of North America are some of the richest and most diverse places in the world.
What kinds of factors are most important in determining where species live in rocky intertidal zones?
Water and air temperature
. Habitat temperature (which is translated into organismal body temperature in ectotherms
8
) is one of the most influential factors affecting the distribution and abundance of organisms in the rocky intertidal zone because it influences all biochemical and physiological rates.
Why intertidal zone is important?
Why Is the Intertidal Zone Important? The intertidal or littoral zone
maintains a balance between the land and the sea
. It provides a home to specially adapted marine plants and animals. Those organisms, in turn, serve as food for many other animals.
What are the two types of habitat in intertidal zone?
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). This area can include many different types of habitats, including
steep rocky cliffs, sandy beaches, or wetlands
.
How do organisms adapt to living in the rocky shore intertidal zone?
Desiccation
threatens animals living in intertidal zones on the rocky shore. Some adaptive features include migration to an underwater area (if they are mobile), restricting activities (reduced metabolism) and attaching more firmly to the rocks along with resistant shells and the ability to retain water.
Where are rocky shorelines located?
Rocky shores are found
all over the world
. Rocky shores are not all the same. For example, on the Pacific Northwest coast you will find steep, rocky cliffs. In Maine, you will find rocky coasts, too, but they slope gently into the sea.
How do humans impact the rocky shore?
Human trampling and harvest. Increasingly, humans visit the rocky shore as naturalists and sightseers, to
collect bait and “souvenirs
,” and to harvest food. … Other more recent studies, have also detected density and species composition changes associated with human use (Duran et al.
Do rocky shores have high biodiversity?
Rocky shores are biologically rich environments
. Species here have become adapted to deal with the extreme conditions created by the movement of the tides and many cannot be found anywhere else.
What are the four zones in the rocky intertidal?
- Spray Zone. The spray zone is the upper part of the beach that occasionally gets splashed, but never gets covered by the ocean. …
- High Intertidal Zone. …
- Mid Intertidal Zone. …
- Low Intertidal Zone.
What organisms are the most abundant in the rocky intertidal?
Seaweeds
are most abundant in the sub-tidal zone where they often form dense kelp forests and provide habitats for many fish, worms, crustaceans, gastropods, and many more marine animals. Certain species can be found in the intertidal zone and more commonly these are green species of algae such as sea lettuce.
What is the difference between intertidal and subtidal?
Subtidal ecosystems are
always submerged due to tidal influence
, whereas intertidal ecosystems are found between the high tide and low tide, experiencing fluctuating influences of land and sea[3].
How can we protect the intertidal zone?
- Don’t dump your trash overboard; dispose of properly and recycle.
- Maintain your boats to reduce oil leaks.
- Keep your boat or motorized watercraft out of sensitive areas like seagrass beds.
- Install and maintain marine sanitation devices on your boat.
- Use designated pumpout stations.
What are the abiotic factors of the intertidal zone?
ABiOTIC FACTORS OF INTERTIDAL ZONES
Abiotic factors include
the water temperature, amount of sunlight, soil composition, and dominate geographical features
. Water Temperature: Since intertidal zones are all around the world, their climates change drastically, thus changing the temperature of the water.
