What is the temperature like in the intertidal zone?

What is the temperature like in the intertidal zone?

With the intertidal zone’s high exposure to the sun the temperature range can be anything from very hot with full sun to near freezing in colder climates. Temperature extremes within some microclimates in the littoral zone can be moderated by local features and larger plants such as mangroves.

What is the pH of intertidal zones?

pH 6.9-9.5
In these crabs, embryonic development occurs in the pH-variable intertidal zone (pH 6.9-9.5), larvae mature in the more stable pelagic environment (pH 7.9-8.2), and juvenile crabs settle back into the pH-variable intertidal zone.

What are the characteristics of intertidal zone?

The defining characteristic of the intertidal zone is that it is submerged with water during high tide and exposed to the air during low tide. The zone can take many forms, from sandy beaches to rocky cliffs. It is common for the intertidal zone to change frequently, since it is constantly battered by crashing waves.

How many season does the intertidal zone have?

The intertidal zone can be further divided into three zones: high tide, middle tide, and low tide. The high tide zone is only submerged at high tide and is hotter and drier as a result.

Is the ocean acidic or basic?

The ocean’s average pH is now around 8.1 , which is basic (or alkaline), but as the ocean continues to absorb more CO2, the pH decreases and the ocean becomes more acidic.

How much salt is in the intertidal zone?

Estuarine salinity normally varies between 5 ppt and 30 ppt. Salinity may begin at 20-25 ppt and climb dramatically during the day due to water loss when the intertidal is exposed. Salinity may also drop during the day due to a sudden influx of freshwater provided by a passing thunderstorm.

What is the average temperature in the intertidal zone?

The average range of air temperature is from 75 ° f to 102 ° f. The intertidal zone does have seasons. The inter tidal zone has hot and humid summers, moderate springs and falls, and cool harsh winters.

Where are the spray and intertidal zones located?

See this discussion on beach ecology. A typical rocky shore can be divided into a spray zone or splash zone (also known as the supratidal zone), which is above the spring high-tide line and is covered by water only during storms, and an intertidal zone, which lies between the high and low tidal extremes.

How are temperature extremes in the littoral zone moderated?

Temperature extremes within some microclimates in the littoral zone can be moderated by local features and larger plants such as mangroves. Adaption in the littoral zone is all about making use of nutrients supplied in high volume on a regular basis from the sea which are actively moved to the zone by tides and ocean swells.

Is the mid-littoral zone submerged half the time?

Mid-Littoral Zone. The mid-littoral zone is submerged half of the time, depending on whether it is high or low tide. Many species of plants and animals still inhabit this region; however, not to the same number or diversity as exhibited by the lower littoral zone.