A shoreline is formed when the water merges with the land. Land is often submerged in water and gets exposed when the water pulls back. This part of the land and water is a habitat to many living organisms and aquatic animals. As known to many of us, water is a source of life and as it makes its way to the land it also brings along different life forms with it. Even the shallow portion of the shore is home to many different, unique and interesting animals and plants. Shorelines are not only shelter to numerous life forms but also a source of food to humans and birds like seagulls. There are different types of shorelines all over the world. Some are rocky while some are sandy shores and life forms are different on these two types of shorelines. Lets us now take a look at different shoreline biomes on these two types of shorelines.Sandy Shoreline Habitat
Sandy shorelines consists more of soft sand, shells and small rocks. These types of shorelines hold interesting yet unstable life forms beneath and around it. Changes in the level of tides creates an intertidal zone wherein many marine animals seek shelter. During the time of high tide, these marine animals come out to feed themselves as the tide brings food with it. As the day passes, the approach of low tide sends away the marine animals back to their shelters, where they spend most of their lives. The animals that are found on the shore live their life beneath the sand and often make an appearance during high tide. Sandy shoreline life has adapted itself very well to the high and the low tides. Some of the interesting life forms found on sandy shorelines are as follows:
* Sea Star
* Snails
* Sea Turtles
* Horseshoe Crabs
* Egrets
* Sea Oats
* Ghost Crabs
* Smooth Bay Shrimp
* Hermit Crabs
* Marshes
There are many organisms that make burrows into the sand and only come out at the time of low tide for food. Sand provides a strong shelter for these living organisms as it keeps them safe from other predators and even the wild sea waves.
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