Intertidal Sediments

The intertidal sedimentary coastline represents around 50% of the total Scottish coastline. This includes habitats of mobile shingle and gravel, sand and mud or combinations of these, as well as vascular plant communities in the upper shore that form saltmarshes. In some places the sediments are overgrown by biogenic reefs of blue mussels.

Intertidal sediments support communities that are tolerant of exposure to air and variable temperatures and salinities, particularly the expansive mudflats and sandflats found in estuaries. These habitats support communities of animals that are typically species poor, but highly productive. They comprise burrowing worms, crustaceans, bivalve molluscs and echinoderms.