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What Are The Biotic and Abiotic Conditions in Intertidal Zones and Estuaries? Lesson 2

The document summarizes biotic and abiotic conditions in intertidal zones and estuaries. Intertidal zones are found between low and high tide marks, and contain tidal pools and organisms that can withstand exposure to air and water daily. Estuaries are where rivers meet the sea, and have lower salinity due to freshwater dilution. They contain mangrove forests and many species of bivalves. A project is assigned for students to create a scrapbook about organisms found in a chosen estuary.

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111 views

What Are The Biotic and Abiotic Conditions in Intertidal Zones and Estuaries? Lesson 2

The document summarizes biotic and abiotic conditions in intertidal zones and estuaries. Intertidal zones are found between low and high tide marks, and contain tidal pools and organisms that can withstand exposure to air and water daily. Estuaries are where rivers meet the sea, and have lower salinity due to freshwater dilution. They contain mangrove forests and many species of bivalves. A project is assigned for students to create a scrapbook about organisms found in a chosen estuary.

Uploaded by

Julliena Bakers
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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LESSON 2 What are the Biotic and Abiotic

Conditions in Intertidal Zones and


Estuaries?
I. Intertidal Zone

The Intertidal Zone is the portion of the shore above the low-tide mark and below the high-tide
mark. The width of the intertidal zone varies in different parts of the country In places where the
water near the shore is deep, the rocky headlands prevent us from enjoying a wide intertidal
zone. Instead, in some areas, high limestone cliffs majestically rise above water.

There are also places where the low tide reaches far out to the sea. The local folks who
wander around are aware of this, and they soon return to the shore so that they will not be
caught by the fast coming high tide. Palawan, for example, has such very wide intertidal zones.

ats

What living things do we find in intertidal zones? In places where there are tidal flats
(meaning the surface is hard), the receding tide leaves many tidal pools of various sizes.
Sea stars (also called star fish), brittle stars, small crabs, small fish and others are found in
shallow pools. Sea urchins occupy even the crevices living the bigger pools. And near the edge of
the low tide, shellfish and other organisms are seen clinging to the wet rocks.

On the other hand, on sandy beaches, the intertidal zone is kept alive by tiny fiddler crabs
rapidly running from hole to hole in the sand. There are also hermit crabs which temporarily
occupy empty shells that fit their size.

Near the edge of the water, small bivalves lie buried in the sand. People living in the area
harvest them by first digging a hole in the sand with the use of their heel.

As in other intertidal zones, the rocks near the water are littered with different kinds of
organisms.

The inhabitants of the intertidal zone have been described as the "most versatile" aquatic
creatures. Versatile means variable, or changing rapidly. Why are intertidal zone organisms said to
be versatile? It is because half of the time they are submerged in water, and half of the time they
are exposed to strong wind and the scorching heat of the sun, throughout their life.

Second, the outflowing river water is often loaded with soil particles (or sediments) from
the land. So the nearby intertidal zone often becomes covered with silt. Such an area is ideal for
the formation of a mangrove swamps on either side of the river. The environmental conditions in
a mangrove swamps are discussed separately in the next science class.
II. Estuary

Estuary refers to the area where outflowing river water meets seawater. What environmental
conditions characterize an estuary? First, the salt content (or salinity) of the water in an estuary is
lower than that of normal seawater.

Why? It is because that seawater is diluted by freshwater from the land.

Also, a species of bivalve abounds at the bottom near the mouth of the river. Certainly local
folks cannot complain of hunger along an estuary.
EXERCISE 1
Write T if the statement is true and F if the statement is false.

________1) Estuaries tend to be very salty.


________2) Limestone cliffs can be found in intertidal zones.
________3) Estuaries are home for fishes only.
________4) Intertidal zones are often covered with dirt because of the waves from the sea.
________5) Mangroves can be seen growing in estuaries and riverbanks near them.
________6) Intertidal zones do not experience low tides.
________7) Estuaries are rich in variety of organisms living there.
________8) Receding tides create tidal flats in intertidal zones.

Project

What You Need:


 photos of animals and plants living in an estuary
 bond paper
 photo of an estuary
 art materials
 pen

What to Do:
1) Make a scrapbook about an estuary that you have chosen. If there is an estuary near
your place, take a photo of it for you to use. If there are no estuaries nearby, you
can browse the internet to search and choose one.
2) Paste the photo on the first page of your scrapbook and write something about the
estuary, where is it found, how far it is from your home, etc.
3) Cut and paste the animals on the succeeding pages of your scrapbook, for each
animal, make sure you write their name and a short a description about it, what does
it eat, etc.
4) You may design your scrapbook to make it look more presentable.

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