Animals in the intertidal zone have adapted to the environment.
Between the high tide and low tide is the intertidal zone.Wetlands and rocky cliffs are included in this zone.A variety of animal species can be found in the intertidal zone.The intertidal zone can be as wide as a sandy beach several meters wide.Organisms have learned to adapt to the fluctuations in the water level.
The splash zone on an intertidal rocky shore is the region that is frequently splashed by waves.The low intertidal zone, which is exposed to the atmosphere each time a low tide comes in, is one of three main zones along the shoreline.
The intertidal zone is constantly subjected to the influence of natural environmental factors which put the organisms thriving there at tremendous stress, so these organisms have developed ways to adapt in this harsh environment.The intertidal zone is affected by two lows and two high tides in a single day.Desiccation can occur when organisms are exposed to the air, higher temperatures and salinity.Intertidal organisms have developed ways to cope with stress.
The organisms living at the outer limits of the intertidal zone are subjected to temperature changes.During a low tide, the temperature may vary from freezing to hot, depending on the season.During a low tide, the snails and crabs burrow under the sand.Other organisms may have a shell to regulate temperature.
Intertidal organisms will dry out if exposed to the air and sunlight during a low tide.Snails hide from desiccation and water loss.There are scars on the home where limpets live.They leave the scar and come back before the tide goes down.Some people have an outer shell that protects them from desiccation.Some species of algae can recover from long periods of desiccation.Barnacles and mussels attach themselves to rocks.