HIGHLAND SEASHORES
 MARITIME – land above high water mark
 UPPER SHORE – lichens
MUD - It might seem an unpleasant place to live,
but mud teems with tiny creatures that feed on
bacteria and are food themselves for birds.
 MID SHORE – wrack seaweeds
 LOWER SHORE – red seaweeds & kelps
 MARINE – the sea beyond low water mark
1
The seashore can be divided into five more or less
distinct zones, from the land to the edge of the sea.
As we head down the shore towards the sea,
biodiversity increases dramatically.
SOLID ROCK - Seaweeds and barnacles settle and
cover the rock surface where many mobile
animals make their home.
© James Merryweather 2013
BOULDERS - Apparently not much living here, until
you turn the boulders over, discovering a world of
rich biodiversity. remember to turn the boulders back
2
Our region has has several
different types of seashore.
below & right
SHINGLE - Very mobile under wave action and
well drained (dry), so not much can live here
between the lower and upper water marks.
SAND - Particle size is highly variable. Distribution
of the many worms, burrowing molluscs and tiny
crustaceans that live in sand is patchy.
MAERL - A coarse white ‘sand’ composed of the
bleached remains of coral-like red seaweed. Home
to sea grass and a great many unusual animals.
HIGHLAND SEASHORE BIODIVERSITY PROJECT 2013-2015
www.highlandbiodiversity.com