Intertidal Zone‒Under the Sea Winds

The tides are periodic variations in the surface level of the sea caused bygravitational attraction of the moon and sun. High tide occurs when the waterreaches its highest level, and low tide is when the water reaches its lowest level.The intertidal zone refers to the region between the high tide mark and low tidemark; it is a region with a great diversity of life.

Kinmen is surrounded by the sea and enjoys a vast intertidal zone. The varyingtopographical and geological conditions create a variety of intertidal zones,including the rocky shore, the sandy beach and the mudflats. The beach is ashore covered with fine sand. Liaoluo Bay is a typical sandy beach, with smallareas of rocky cliffs in between. The rocky shores are constituted by large areas ofrocks with a very solid base. The stretch of shoreline from Xibian to Fuguodun isa good example of a rocky shore composed of granite gneiss. Houjiang Bay andthe mouth of the Wujiang River feature mostly mudflats. Mudflats are soft andfull of organic material, making them ideal habitats for many life forms.

Apart from the fiddler crabs, snails, barnacles, nereides, mudskippers, horseshoecrabs, and oysters etc. are all common life forms found in the intertidal zone.The little horseshoe crab spends a lot of time foraging in the mud, scuttlingback and forth among the waves. The anti-landing poles are covered with coralrock oysters waiting for the tides to rise. The mudskipper opens its fins and hopsaround, engaging in territorial fights. Under the sea winds, life expresses itselfin myriad forms. The richly diversified intertidal zone will always be the stagewhere exciting drama unfolds. To get a taste of this excitement, do not forget tokeep an eye on the changes of the tide—for time and tide wait for no man.

• upper：Anti-landing poles / Liao Dong-Kun
• left upper：Uca arcuata / Liao Dong-Kun
• left lower：Horseshoe crab / Liao Dong-Kun