Sand and mud flats
The varied world of soft bottom communities
The basic nature of a shore is determined by the geology and shape of its adjacent coastline and by various physical processes, particularly the action of rivers and waves which supply sediments. Thus, depending on location, there can be sand or mud flats on a shore, or a mixture of both. There is a wealth of life on intertidal sand and mud flats. As they receive organic matter consisting of plankton, and detritus consisting of decomposed mangrove and algal matter, these flats are inhabited by marine worms, molluscs and crustaceans, which in turn provide food for birds at low tide, and fish, crabs and prawns at high tide.
- Information in the full article includes
- Location
- Vertical zones
- Ecological importance
- Impact of reclamation