Supralittoral zone
Encyclopedia
The supralittoral zone, also known as the splash zone, spray zone or the supratidal zone, is the area above the spring high tide
line, on coastlines
and estuaries, that is regularly splashed, but not submerged by ocean water. Seawater penetrates these elevated areas only during storms with high tides.
Organisms here must cope also with exposure to air, fresh water from rain, cold, heat and predation
by land animals and seabirds. At the top of this area, patches of dark lichen
s can appear as crusts on rocks. Some types of periwinkles
, Neritidae
and detritus feeding Isopoda commonly inhabit the lower supralitoral.
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
line, on coastlines
Coastlines
Coastlines is an independent 2002 dramatic film written and directed by Victor Nunez.-Cast:* Timothy Olyphant as Sonny Mann* Josh Brolin as Dave Lockhart* Sarah Wynter as Ann Lockhart* Scott Wilson as Pa Mann* Angela Bettis as Effie Bender...
and estuaries, that is regularly splashed, but not submerged by ocean water. Seawater penetrates these elevated areas only during storms with high tides.
Organisms here must cope also with exposure to air, fresh water from rain, cold, heat and predation
Predation
In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey . Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of its prey and the eventual absorption of the prey's tissue through consumption...
by land animals and seabirds. At the top of this area, patches of dark lichen
Lichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
s can appear as crusts on rocks. Some types of periwinkles
Common Periwinkle
The common periwinkle or winkle, scientific name Littorina littorea, is a species of small edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk which has gills and an operculum, and is classified within the family Littorinidae, the periwinkles....
, Neritidae
Neritidae
Neritidae, common name the nerites, is a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized saltwater and freshwater snails which have a gill and a distinctive operculum, marine, brackish water and freshwater gastropod mollusks in the order Neritoida....
and detritus feeding Isopoda commonly inhabit the lower supralitoral.