Ebook: Seashores: an ecological guide

Cover Page; Title Page; Copyright Page; Contents; Introduction; 1 Elements of the Coast; Basic principles; The ecosystem; Abiotic factors; The tides; Wave action and types of shore; Biotic factors; Primary production; Consumers; Nutrient flow and decomposition; 2 Rocky Shores; Part 1: The communities; Cliffs and sea-bird colonies; Splash zone community; Upper shore community; Middle shore community; Lower shore community; Laminaria zone: the transition from littoral to sub-littoral; Part 2: Ecology of the shore; 3 Plankton; Introduction; Phytoplankton; Zooplankton; Plankton blooms.;Seashores - An Ecological Guide provides an easy-to-use, authoritative reference to commonly occurring organisms. By looking at the habitats of the coastline, it focuses on key species you are likely to find. The book explains how these organisms have adapted and how they are able to cope with the environmental stresses of the seashore. With over 400 colour photographs, the guide looks first at the physical and biological features that determine our coast before surveying the variety of communities that exist on our shores. These include: rocky shores; sand and mud; estuaries; salt-marsh; sand.