Q1. Which of the following compete for space on intertidal rocks?

1) Algae and Barnacles

2) Whelk and Starfish

3) Algae, Barnacles, and Whelk

4) Starfish only

Q2. Which species eats Acorn Barnacles?

1)Mussel

2)Starfish

3)Whelk

4)Chiton

Q3. Which of these species is the most competitively dominant?

1)Black Pine

2)Goose-neck Barnacle

3)Nori Seaweed

4)Acorn Barnacle

Q4. What dramatically changes when Starfish are removed from the simulated system?

1)acorn and Goose Neck Barnacle populations increase in size.

2)the Mussel population increases in size.

3)The Coral Weed population increases in size.

4)The system remains largely unchanged.

Q5. Which of the following is NOT an essential characteristic of a keystone species?

A) Arelatively low abundance compared to other species in the community.

2)Removal of the species leads to a large change in the community.

3)Direct interaction (through competition or predation) with every other species in the community.

4)A high impact on the community relative to its population size.

(The diagrams below show very simplified species relationships for certain areas of African savanna. Use these simplified diagrams to answer the questions below. (Real-world savannas support more species with more complex relationships.)

Savanna Diagrams

Q6. If you fenced a plot of land in the savanna so that animals were completely excluded, over time, which type of plant would dominate the plot, according to the diagrams?

1)Grasses

2)Shrubs

3)Trees

4)None will dominate.

Q7. If you removed all the Lions from a large area of savanna, which of the following changes is most likely, according to the diagrams?

1)There would be fewer Cheetahs.

2)There would be more Zebra.

3)There would be more Grasses.

4)There would be more Elephants.

Q8. If you removed all the Cheetahs from a large area of savanna, which of the following changes is most likely, according to the diagrams?

1)There would be fewer Gazelle.

2)There would be fewer Shrubs.

3)There would be fewer Lions.

4)There would be fewer Grasses.

Q9. If you removed all the Elephants from a large area of savanna, which of the following two changes is more likely, according to the diagrams?

1)There would be fewer Trees.

2) There would be fewer Grasses.

Q10. Which species below is the best candidate for a keystone species? (Hint: Consult BOTH diagrams to get the answer!)

1)Elephants

2)Cheetahs

3)Lions

4)Zebra

Intertidal Zone Definition

One day, you are walking on the beach, enjoying the wind blowing your hair. As the sun sets, you notice the ocean water has shifted away from the land deep to the sea. You then bend to pick a shell and make your wish. You just interacted with the intertidal zone ecosystem!

An intertidal zone is an area between the low and high tides where the ocean floor comes into contact with the land. When the land meets the sea, the intertidal zone is underwater when the tide is high and exposed when the tides are low.

So, the intertidal zone is the path you walk between the lowest and highest tide. The shell you picked belongs to one of the organisms in this zone. Such creatures are adapted to getting immersed in the water and then exposed to the sunlight at different times of the day. 

Intertidal Zone Location

The intertidal zone is the meeting point of the sea, and the land can appear in different forms. Some coasts are steep, rocky ledges and sloppy sandy beaches, and others are mudflats. The zone can sometimes be just a few meters long, while it stretches to hundreds of meters in other places.

Intertidal regions of a coastline are submerged during tides and exposed when the tides go away. The zone may change regularly due to crashing waves. So, the location has five main parts as follows:

Splash Zone: Also known as the upper littoral, the splash zone is the dry part of the land that splashes with salty water during high tides. Lice, limpets, lichens, and barnacles do well in this area. Little vegetation survives here.

High Tide Zone: Also referred to as the Upper Mid-Littoral Zone, this area is only submerged during the high tides. Barnacles, snails, seastars, whelks, and scanty marine vegetation thrive here.

Mid Tide Zone: The Lower Mid-littoral Zone is submerged twice a day. Organisms that survive here include sea palms, sea lettuce, snails, isopods, algae, sponges, whelks, barnacles, and anemones.

Low Tide Zone: Also known as the Lower Littoral Zone, this part is usually immersed in the water. Organisms in this zone are not adapted to dryness or extreme temperatures.

Intertidal Zone Animals

The intertidal zone’s ecosystem consists of animals, plants, and other organisms that can survive on the marine shorelines. Such creatures can withstand the extreme conditions brought by the rising and falling tides in their habitat.

The ecosystem is an attractive study area for most researchers who want to document fish, anemones, and crustaceans. Species that call the zone home live in communities along the elevation gradient. Some live near the shore’s high tide, while others prefer to stay down the shore’s low tide.

Any living thing in the intertidal zones is well adapted to survive the salinity, moisture, temperature, and strong waves. Rocky shorelines are home to:

• Crabs
• Snails
• Algae
• Kelps
• Clams
• Worms
• Oysters
• Mussels
• Barnacles
• Seaweed
• Sea stars

Mussels and barnacles anchor themselves to the rocks but can also hold the seawater in closed shells. The water-holding technique saves them from drying out when the tide is low.

Sediment shores host organisms such as clams, worms, and sand dollars. Rocky shorelines have tide pools where species with no tidal adaptation, such as fish, shrimp, and sea stars, find shelter.

Challenges in the Intertidal Zone

Humans are posing the greatest challenge to the intertidal zone. Access to the intertidal zone through tourism, population, and mining disturbs the harmony of the ecosystem. The marine life that depends on this habitat for survival is therefore impacted.

Fortunately, people and organizations are coming up with approaches to clean the sea and reduce the population.

Also, waves can carry out unprotected organisms from their habitat. While the waves bring nutrients and moisture to the coast, they can wash away animals. Creatures living in rocky zones have hard body covers to avoid crashing when the waves pound on the rocks.

The rising and falling of tides keep changing the salinity of the ecosystem. So, the animals are forced to tolerate the rapid variations.

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