Home - Intertidal Zone
Overview
- The
intertidal zone is where the land, air, and sea meet. It is a zone between
high tide and low tide that is above water at low tide and under water at
high
tide. Intertidal zones exist along the coasts all over the world and are
home to numerous marine habitats that are able to survive extreme changes in
climate and temperature, crashing waves, water currents, sun exposure, and
harmful human interactions. "The plants and animals of the intertidal
are subject to a range of conditions not encountered in the relative
stability of the deep ocean. Three factors--substrate, wave shock, and
exposure to drying--are important in determining the types of organisms
found in a given intertidal community." (http://ceres.ca.gov).
Despite the harsh conditions, human interactions are often the most damaging to intertidal zones. In many areas, intertidal zones are
protected by law and anyone caught removing or harming intertidal zone organisms
may be fined.
- Low tide zone - also known as the literal tide zone, the low tide zone is mostly submerged and only dry during the lowest tides. The low tide zone contains the highest biodiversity within the intertidal zone as organisms in this zone do not have to be as well adapted to drying out and temperature extremes.
- Middle tide zone - regularly covered with sea water.
- High tide zone - covered by water during each high tide. The high tide zone is predominantly inhabited by seaweed and invertebrates.
- Splash zone - the "desert" of the intertidal zone, this area survives on the mist and spray of ocean waves.
The intertidal zone is often divided by marine biologists into distinct sub-zones:
Tide pools are puddles or pools of seawater found among the rocks of the intertidal zone. Tide pools provide a home for hardy organisms such as mussels, sea urchins, starfish and clams.
The video below, produced by the National Film Board of Canada, provides a good visual overview of the intertidal zone, its marine life, and risks of human intrusion.
Fun Fact:
The intertidal zone was the title for a comic strip starring "Bob the Sponge" which later became the popular cartoon icon, SpongeBob SquarePants.
The intertidal zone was the title for a comic strip starring "Bob the Sponge" which later became the popular cartoon icon, SpongeBob SquarePants.