Beavertail ~ Rocky Shore

Physical Characteristics

Why do you think it would be difficult to live on the rocky shore?

The rocky shore is a challenging environment for plant and animal life. Organisms here are constantly exposed to environmental factors such as temperature extremes, wind and weather, changes in salinity, the rising and falling of tides, and the force of waves striking the rocks.

One very noticeable feature of rocky shores is a type of vertical pattern, called zonation. A surprising number of plant and animal species live in distinct zones.