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Neritic Zone
Intertidal Zone
The shoreline zone exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide - the most physically stressful marine habitat, home to remarkable specialists.
Depth: 0-5m Light: Sunlight Temp: -2 to 40
📖 Overview
The intertidal zone is a battlefield. Organisms endure hours of air exposure, temperature swings, wave impact, salinity changes, and predators from both terrestrial and marine sides. Tidepool fish - sculpins, blennies, gobies - endure it all. Barnacles, mussels, snails, sea stars, and anemones form iconic vertical zonation patterns. Rachel Carsons "The Edge of the Sea" made this world famous.
🌿 Ecology
Zonation: splash zone, upper intertidal, middle, lower. Each zone has characteristic species. Sea stars are keystone predators - remove them and mussel dominance destroys diversity.