These animals, therefore, need to be well adapted to water loss. The intertidal zone is periodically exposed to sun and wind, conditions that can cause barnacles to become desiccated. Different barnacle species live at very tightly constrained elevations, with tidal conditions precisely determining the exact height of an assemblage relative to sea level. Few organisms can survive such harsh conditions. At other times the rocks may undergo other extreme conditions, baking in the sun or exposed to cold winds. Tide pools exist in the "intertidal zone" (the area within the tidal range), which is submerged by the sea at high tides and during storms, and may receive spray from wave action.
The presence and abundance of animals and algae vary between zones along the rocky shore due to niche adaptations in response to the varying levels of tidal and solar exposure. Below the low-tide mark is the sublittoral or subtidal zone. Between the high and low-tide marks is the intertidal or littoral zone. The area around the high-tide mark is known as the intertidal fringe. The area above the high-tide mark is the supralittoral zone which is virtually a terrestrial environment. Tidal movements of water creates zonation patterns along rocky shores from high to low-tide. The rocky shoreline exhibits zonation as a feature of the shoreline. Tide pools in Santa Cruz, California from spray/splash zone to low tide zone
0 kommentar(er)
