Between tide and wave marks: a unifying model of physical zonation on littoral shores
The effects of tides on littoral marine habitats are so ubiquitous that shorelines are commonly described as ‘intertidal’, whereas waves are considered a secondary factor that simply modifies the intertidal habitat. However mean significant wave height exceeds tidal range at many locations worldwide...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PeerJ Inc.
2013-09-01
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| Series: | PeerJ |
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/154.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797424239278555136 |
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| author | Christopher E. Bird Erik C. Franklin Celia M. Smith Robert J. Toonen |
| author_facet | Christopher E. Bird Erik C. Franklin Celia M. Smith Robert J. Toonen |
| author_sort | Christopher E. Bird |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The effects of tides on littoral marine habitats are so ubiquitous that shorelines are commonly described as ‘intertidal’, whereas waves are considered a secondary factor that simply modifies the intertidal habitat. However mean significant wave height exceeds tidal range at many locations worldwide. Here we construct a simple sinusoidal model of coastal water level based on both tidal range and wave height. From the patterns of emergence and submergence predicted by the model, we derive four vertical shoreline benchmarks which bracket up to three novel, spatially distinct, and physically defined zones. The (1) emergent tidal zone is characterized by tidally driven emergence in air; the (2) wave zone is characterized by constant (not periodic) wave wash; and the (3) submergent tidal zone is characterized by tidally driven submergence. The decoupling of tidally driven emergence and submergence made possible by wave action is a critical prediction of the model. On wave-dominated shores (wave height ≫ tidal range), all three zones are predicted to exist separately, but on tide-dominated shores (tidal range ≫ wave height) the wave zone is absent and the emergent and submergent tidal zones overlap substantially, forming the traditional “intertidal zone”. We conclude by incorporating time and space in the model to illustrate variability in the physical conditions and zonation on littoral shores. The wave:tide physical zonation model is a unifying framework that can facilitate our understanding of physical conditions on littoral shores whether tropical or temperate, marine or lentic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:59:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-39fcfb7509dd4c499dc1704a85af6c95 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:59:26Z |
| publishDate | 2013-09-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PeerJ |
| spelling | doaj.art-39fcfb7509dd4c499dc1704a85af6c952023-12-03T00:48:43ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592013-09-011e15410.7717/peerj.154154Between tide and wave marks: a unifying model of physical zonation on littoral shoresChristopher E. Bird0Erik C. Franklin1Celia M. Smith2Robert J. Toonen3Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, United StatesHawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaiʻi, Kaneohe, HI, United StatesDepartment of Botany, University of Hawaiʻi, Honolulu, HI, United StatesHawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaiʻi, Kaneohe, HI, United StatesThe effects of tides on littoral marine habitats are so ubiquitous that shorelines are commonly described as ‘intertidal’, whereas waves are considered a secondary factor that simply modifies the intertidal habitat. However mean significant wave height exceeds tidal range at many locations worldwide. Here we construct a simple sinusoidal model of coastal water level based on both tidal range and wave height. From the patterns of emergence and submergence predicted by the model, we derive four vertical shoreline benchmarks which bracket up to three novel, spatially distinct, and physically defined zones. The (1) emergent tidal zone is characterized by tidally driven emergence in air; the (2) wave zone is characterized by constant (not periodic) wave wash; and the (3) submergent tidal zone is characterized by tidally driven submergence. The decoupling of tidally driven emergence and submergence made possible by wave action is a critical prediction of the model. On wave-dominated shores (wave height ≫ tidal range), all three zones are predicted to exist separately, but on tide-dominated shores (tidal range ≫ wave height) the wave zone is absent and the emergent and submergent tidal zones overlap substantially, forming the traditional “intertidal zone”. We conclude by incorporating time and space in the model to illustrate variability in the physical conditions and zonation on littoral shores. The wave:tide physical zonation model is a unifying framework that can facilitate our understanding of physical conditions on littoral shores whether tropical or temperate, marine or lentic.https://peerj.com/articles/154.pdfDesiccationStress gradientTemperatureDisturbancePredictive modelIntertidal environment |
| spellingShingle | Christopher E. Bird Erik C. Franklin Celia M. Smith Robert J. Toonen Between tide and wave marks: a unifying model of physical zonation on littoral shores PeerJ Desiccation Stress gradient Temperature Disturbance Predictive model Intertidal environment |
| title | Between tide and wave marks: a unifying model of physical zonation on littoral shores |
| title_full | Between tide and wave marks: a unifying model of physical zonation on littoral shores |
| title_fullStr | Between tide and wave marks: a unifying model of physical zonation on littoral shores |
| title_full_unstemmed | Between tide and wave marks: a unifying model of physical zonation on littoral shores |
| title_short | Between tide and wave marks: a unifying model of physical zonation on littoral shores |
| title_sort | between tide and wave marks a unifying model of physical zonation on littoral shores |
| topic | Desiccation Stress gradient Temperature Disturbance Predictive model Intertidal environment |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/154.pdf |
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