Boulder/cobble shore habitats are exposed between the extreme high tide and extreme low tide marks. They form where there is erosion of glacial till on headlands and islands, and are found along the whole Nova Scotia coastline. Boulder/cobble shores are best developed along the Atlantic coast, where there are shoreline drumlins and other glacial till deposits. In high energy situations (waves, swell, storms), the cobbles may form a storm beach at and above the high tide mark. Little life will be found here because the boulders and cobbles are always moving. In intermediate and low-energy situations, the boulders rest on a wave-cut platform. There can be horizontal zonation in plant (seaweed) colonization related to the period of exposure at low tide. Various animals (barnacles, isopods, amphipods, periwinkles, Green Crabs, Dog Whelks, Blue Mussels and Purple Starfish) are often present except where colonization is limited by the movement of boulders and cobbles. This Document Includes:
Physical Aspects Ecosystem Plants
Middle Shore Special Features Distribution
Additional Keywords:storm beach, berm, Fucus spp., Ascophyllum nodosum, Cord Grass, Irish Moss, Corallina officinalis, Lithothamnium, Sea-lungwort, Beach Pea, lichens, St. Margarets Bay, Mahone Bay, drumlins, Head HarbourAssociated Topics:
T6.2 Oceanic Environments T7.1 Modifying Forces T7.2 Coastal Environments T7.3 Coastal Landforms T10.9 Algae T10.11 Lichens T11.6 Shorebirds and Other Birds of Coastal Wetlands T12.7 The Coast and Resources Associated Habitats:
H1.2 Benthic H2.1 Rocky Shore H2.3 Sandy Shore H2.4 Mud Flat H2.5 Tidal Marsh H2.6 Dune System H5.1 Barren H5.3 Cliff and Bank Copyright © The Province of Nova Scotia, Canada |
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