vary from 0.7 to 1.25 meters (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
1975). Both beaches were composed mainly of quartz sand with some shell hash. 
Tidal Zonation. 
Several investigators have attempted to delineate the sandy beach into 
tidal zones (Dahl, 1953; Pratt, 1973). Leber (1977) adapted a scheme from Wade 
(1967) that consisted of spray, damp, wash and surf zones. This scheme has 
been refined further to facilitate sampling in the intertidal zone. These 
zones are defined and briefly described below (See Fig. 4): 
(a) Upper Beach - The area between the high tide mark left from the 
previous high tide and the primary dune. This area is inhabited mainly 
by ghost crabs, Ocypode quadrata; talitrid amphipods, Talorchestta mega- 
lopthalma; insects; and a few pioneer plants such as sea rocket, Cakitle 
edentula. 
(b) High Tide Drift Line - A band of detritus that marks the 
highest point to which the preceding high tide advanced. It does not 
harbor a specific fauna; however, many organisms such as amphipods, 
ghost crabs, insects, and birds visit the area in search of food. 
(c) Wet Zone - The area between the high tide drift line and the 
saturated zone where the sand remains moist between high tides. An 
amphipod, Haustorius canadensis, and a polychaete worm, Scolelepis 
squamata, can be found here most of the time. In addition, coquinas, 
Donax vartabilts and EF. talpotda can sometimes be found in the wet 
zone during late summer. 
(d) Saturated Zone - The area between the wet zone and the swash 
zone where the sand remains saturated with water. Biotically it is a 
depauperate version of the swash zone, but there is no feeding here by 
the secondary producers. 
(e) Swash Zone - The area of the beach alternately covered with 
water by wave uprush and exposed to air by wave downrush. It is the most 
biologically active zone on the beach. Every organism found on the beach 
can be found in the swash zone during some phase of the tide or time of 
day; however, the dominant organisms here are F. talpotda and Donax spp. 
(f) Surf Zone - The surf zone was defined as that part of the beach 
between the waterline and the breakers that remained submerged during 
sampling. This is the zone where feeding by offshore migrating consum- 
ers is most prevalent. (Because of the difficulty of sampling in the 
surf zone, samples were obtained by wading rather than by using a boat. 
Thus, samples were taken only from the shallow part of the surf zone.) 
IIL. PHYSICAL CHANGE RESULTING FROM NOURISHMENT 
Deposition of an estimated 1.18 million cubic yards of dredged materials 
onto the beach at Fort Macon began in December 1977. Nourishment continued, 
with several interruptions, until June 1978. Nourishment materials were 
obtained from the deepening and widening of the Morehead City State Port Harbor. 
The dredged material was obtained by the use of a cutterhead placed in the 
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