LIFE ON THE SEASHORE 



295 





vater 



OYl* 



inter-tidal zone, either seaweed-covered rocks or sandy 

 beaches and flats; and then a third shallow-water zone 

 found just off shore. 



Life on the Shore. The upper zone, stretching from high 

 tide to the grass and trees of the soil, has little life. There 

 are sea birds, animals like rats 

 or rabbits which wander in 

 from the fields, a few insects, 

 principally gray grasshoppers 

 that harmonize beautifully 

 with the sand, and great 

 hordes of little sand hoppers 

 or sand fleas, tiny crustaceans, 

 which constitute most of the 

 life. These last named ani- 

 mals are abundant, especially 

 in the windrows of seaweed 

 thrown up at the high- tide line. 



The Intertidal Zone. The 

 intertidal zones may be sandy 

 beach, sand and mud flats, 

 or rocky coast. Each of these 

 environments houses quite 

 different animals and plants. 



The Sweep of the tide and A salt-water "long or "soft" clam. 



j. Compare this mollusk with the one 



the pounding Of the Waves shown on page 285. What difference 



make life in this area hard, do you find? Would this tell you any- 



A . , . , . . , . thing about the changes in habitat ? 



As the tide comes in, it brings 



food in the shape of tiny one-celled plants and animals 

 (collectively called plankton), and many animals such 

 as small fish, crabs, starfish, and snails come in to feed. 

 As the tide goes out, the flats become crowded with 

 scavengers, gulls and other birds, crabs and other crusta- 

 ceans. Even land animals, such as beetles, crows, and 

 rats, may come down to feed. The sandy beaches and 



