About Intertidal

Intertidal zone is where the land meets the sea which emerges when the tide ebbs and submerges when the tide comes in. Based on the nature of the ground surface, it can be divided into “soft shore” such as sandflat and mudflat and “hard shore” such as rocky shore and pebble beach.

 

The difference of the ground surface, alongside with the wave action, influx of freshwater and sun exposure create such diverse intertidal habitats and challenges the intertidal species dwelling in. These challenges include fluctuation in salinity (salt level), wave action, risk of overheating and desiccation due to prolonged exposure to the sun. Intertidal dwellers are therefore adapted behaviourally and structurally in various means to tackle those challenges.