The Intertidal BiomeBY: RHIANNON HUANG

The Intertidal Biome• The intertidal biome is also known as the coastline biome.

• It is where land and sea meet between the high and low tides.

• Organisms in the intertidal zone adapt to huge daily changes in moisture, temperature, turbulence, and salinity.

LocationIntertidal zones are found along coastlines worldwide.

Animals

• Barnacles

• Sea stars

• Snails

• Shrimp

• Crabs

• Sea urchins

• Sea cucumber

Plants

• Green algae

• Brown seaweed

• Eelgrass

• Surfgrasss

Biotic Factors

Abiotic Factors• Sunlight

• Temperature (can range anywhere from moderate water temperature to air temperature that vary from below freezing to scorching)

• Turbulence (water movement)

• Salinity (the level of dissolved salts in the water)

• Winds

Vertical Zones• The intertidal zone is divided into vertical zones.

• The vertical zones consist of the spray zone, the high tide zone, the middle tide zone, and the low tide zone.

• Below the four zones is the sub-tide zone which is always underwater.

Spray Zone• Also called the Upper Littoral, the Supralittoral Fringe, the Splash

Zone, and the Barnacle Belt.

• Mostly dry, but is sprayed with salt water during high tides.

• Only flooded during storms and extremely high tides.

• Organisms include barnacles, isopods, lichens, lice, limpets, periwinkles, and whelks.

• Very little vegetation.

High Tide Zone• Also called the Upper Mid-littoral Zone and the high intertidal zone.

• Floods only during high tide.

• Organisms include anemones, barnacles, brittle stars, chitons, crabs, green algae, isopods, limpets, mussels, sea stars, snails, whelks, and some marine vegetation.

Middle Tide Zone• Also called the Lower Mid-littoral Zone.

• Covered and uncovered twice a day with salt water from the tides.

• Organisms include anemones, barnacles, chitons, crabs, green algae, isopods, limpets, mussels, sea lettuce, sea palms, sea stars, snails, sponges, and whelks.

Low Tide Zone• Also called the Lower Littoral Zone.

• Usually under water and is only exposed by unusually low tides.

• Organisms not well adapted to long periods dryness or extreme temperatures.

• Some of the organisms include abalone, anemones, brown seaweed, chitons, crabs, green algae, sea cucumber, sea lettuce, sea palms, and sea urchins.

Predators• When the tide is in littoral animals are preyed upon by sea animals.

• When the tide is out they are preyed upon by land animals such as, foxes and people.

• Birds and marine animals also prey on littoral animals.

Producers

• Phytoplankton

• Seaweeds

Decomposers

• Crabs

• Amphipods

• Sea urchins

• Sea cucumbers

• Brittle stars

Producers and Decomposers

Food Web

Food Pyramid

Pictures