By Brooks King
Rocky intertidal ecosystems are “rocky shorelines that occupy the region between high and low tide” (“Rocky Intertidal Ecosystems”). Rocky intertidal habitats are areas have different zones and different amounts of tidal waves. This causes certain areas to be best for certain organisms. The four different zones are the splash zone, high intertidal zone, mid intertidal zone, and the low intertidal zone. The splash zone is the wall area directly above the water. It’s called the splash zone because whenever the waves crash against the wall it splashes the area right above the water. Typically organisms usually living around water have a hard time living here because it’s basically all above water and there are only occasional waves that splash up sending food, nutrients and oxygen. Because of these conditions, this area is dominated by algae and black lichens. The high intertidal zone is the area at the very top of the rocks. This area is usually above water, but it does go under twice a day when high tide hits. This area is easier to live on because the water brings the food, nutrients, and even oxygen which help organisms survive. This part of land is usually dominated by barnacles. Since there is more space and more organisms living here than in the splash zone, that causes the competition to rise only moderately. The mid intertidal zone is the area right below the high intertidal area. This area again only goes fully underwater when the high tide comes two times a day. However, because it is lower than the high intertidal zone, it stays underwater for longer. This allows organisms to take their time to gather their food and nutrients for the day. Because there isn’t as much stress forced upon these animals as on animals in zones above, more organisms are able to live here. However, this increases the competition for land, food, etc. This area is usually dominated by algae, gastropods, and mussels. Last but not least, there is the low intertidal zone. This zone is almost always completely underwater unless it is very low tide. The positive side is that the organisms get endless food and nutrients from the water, but competition is at its highest here. The competition is caused because of all the resources and organism’s lack of adaptation required. However, the sea stars live down there, so mussels prefer to stay in the mid intertidal zone in order to stay alive. This land is most dominantly controlled by algae. The rocky intertidal habitats are not only differentiated by their different zones. The height and amount of waves there are also influence where organisms live. For example, areas that do have more waves need to have an adaptation that allows them to somehow anchor to the rocks, so that they don’t get blown over by the waves. For example, Limpets, who live in both the high intertidal zone and the mid intertidal zone, have very muscular feet which allows them to hold their ground when waves come Without their muscular feet, they would be tossed around and stuck in the waves without any control. If they do get caught in the waves, this could end fatally for them if they get carried all the way against a hard wall or rock. Other organisms who live in either the high or mid intertidal zone area also need to adapt to these waves by having some anchoring system. Animals living in this area are constantly being summoned to high stress. They must be able to adapt quickly and often. Depending on which zone they live in, they may have different adaptation requirements. These animals have to be careful of the amount of waves and force of the waves hitting them, but they also have to worry about the water temperature. Since these areas do differ between covered in water and out of water, when seasons change and it gets either hotter or colder, these animals must adapt. One way to resolve this issue is by that organism having a hard shell to protect them from both the ragin sunlight or the blistering cold. Another way is to have a community who all bundle up together and protect each other. Another issue these animals face is the salinity. As the tide changes, so does the amount of salt, so these animals must be able to deal with various amounts throughout the day. The rocky intertidal habitats are very unique because there is so much detail that you only figure out when you do your research. For example, before, I would have thought that this area was just one big area. Instead it’s broken up into four smaller categories, each with unique circumstances and adaptations. It’s crazy to think about how these zones being so close to each other have so many dramatic differences.
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Biology of the Sea
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