Low Tidal Zone Research Paper

Rocky shores are riddled with groves, pockets and crevices that can harbor life. These shores are usually a newly formed coast. These coasts are usually formed geologically from an uplifting of the earths crust exposing the bedrock. It is known that these coasts are new because sediment has not had time to accumulate along the coast. The tide pools are found in the intertidal zone. In this zone the seashore covers the rocks during high tide and the rocks are uncovered at low tide. These areas can be observed in many different areas. Some of these areas include the West Coast of America, Eastern Canada, and New England. The sheer brutality of waves and currents along the shore can also erode away sediment leaving rocky shoreline. Volcanoes also deposit new rock formations, allowing for new shores to arise. Organisms that live on these shores have to be able to live with an ever-changing environment. When the tide is high these animals will be completely submerged in water for an extended period of time until the water retreats. Once low tide occurs, these organisms will then be exposed to little or no water with varying salinity levels. Different

The most abundant of these species would be algae and seaweed. In this zone organisms are not adapted well to variations in dryness and extreme temperatures. Most organisms in this zone grow larger than any other zone. This would be because more energy is available to these organisms. Since this zone is mostly submerged with water marine plants are able to also grow to larger sizes. The zones lower level of water also emits for more light to pass through allowing plants to better photosynthesize. In this level the salinity is almost the same as open seawater. The organisms that live in this environment are protected from large predators because of how shallow the water is and the waves that surround these