Intertidal zone
The intertidal zone is the shoreline between high and low tides.
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The intertidal zone is the area where the ocean meets the land between high and low tides.[1] Organisms here must survive changes in moisture, temperature, and salinity and withstand strong waves.[2]
Quick Facts
- Tidal range
- From high tide to low tide
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
Marine biologists divide the intertidal region into three zones based on average exposure to air: low, middle, and high.[3][4] The low intertidal zone has the greatest biodiversity compared to the other zones.[4] Intertidal zones are sensitive habitats that can experience ecological hazards from tourism and human-induced impacts.[5] The low intertidal zone becomes visible only during the very lowest tides and functions mostly as a marine habitat.[3]
Regular wave action and the tidal cycle cause the middle intertidal zone to be often uncovered by water.[4] Because it is covered by water only at the most extreme high tides, the high intertidal zone is mostly a land-based setting.[4] Extending from a point above the maximum tide height to a point below the minimum, the peritidal zone is broader than the intertidal zone.[6]
What the research sources say
The National Geographic Society describes the intertidal zone as an extreme ecosystem that constantly experiences drastic changes.[2] The WorldAtlas account states that the low intertidal zone has seaweed as its predominant vegetation.[4] The National Geographic Society reports that intertidal zones richer in sediments are filled with clams, sand dollars, and worms.[2] The US Department of Commerce explains that larger marine life like seals and sea lions forage at high tide in the intertidal zone.[1]
The National Geographic Society adds that the intertidal zone is an important feeding spot for both resident and migrating birds.[2] The US Department of Commerce states that sea creatures position themselves at different heights in the intertidal zone based on their capacity to compete for space, evade predators, and avoid desiccation.[1]
References
- US Department of Commerce, "What is the intertidal zone?", oceanservice.noaa.gov. facts only, no text reused. oceanservice.noaa.gov
- "Intertidal Zone", National Geographic Society, 2019-10-10. facts only, no text reused. nationalgeographic.org
- Wikipedia, "Intertidal zone" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "What is the Intertidal Zone?", WorldAtlas, 10 January 2018 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "What is the Intertidal Zone?", WorldAtlas, 10 January 2018. facts only, no text reused. worldatlas.com
- Wikipedia, "Intertidal zone" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Climate Change Impacts on Intertidal Zone Populations", NCCOS Coastal Science Website; Nordlund, "Intertidal Zone Management in the Western Indian Ocean: Assessing Current Status and Future Possibilities Using Expert Opinions", Ambio, December 2014, p. 1006–1019 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Intertidal zone" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: US Department of Commerce, "What is the intertidal zone?", oceanservice.noaa.gov (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Intertidal zone (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Intertidal zone (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the , each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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