1) Rocky intertidal shores: These rocky intertidal shores provide a solid and stable substrate for attached organisms, but are also subject to strong waves in some cases. It is also a unique growing site that is exposed to the air and submerged in the sea due to the tides that occur twice a day. Many seaweeds thrive here, as well as many adherent and detritivorous animals.
2) Tidal flat: A sedimentary bottom (a seabed composed of sand and mud) formed at the back of bays and estuaries, which is located in the intertidal zone and is dried up at low tide. Generally, the water movement is quiet and stable. In estuarine tidal flats, salinity fluctuates greatly during the course of a day due to the inflow of river water and tides. Mangroves are also categorized in this growing environment.
3) Sandy beach: In contrast to 2), sandy beaches face the open ocean and have an unstable substrate of sand that is constantly changing due to waves and currents. Many animals grow specifically on sandy beaches. There are also many small organisms that grow in the spaces between the sand grains.
4) Seagrass beds: Refers to landscape communities consisting mainly of large plants (seagrasses and seagrasses) that inhabit the intertidal to subtidal zones. Seagrass beds (eelgrass beds) form on sedimentary bottoms (sandy and muddy bottoms) and are dominated by seagrasses, whereas seaweed beds form on reef bottoms and are dominated by soft brown algae such as Honda straw; kelp forests consist mainly of hard brown algae such as arame, kajime, wakame and kelp.
5) Pelagic ecosystems (oceanic and coastal): In offshore areas, there is no substrate to support organisms, so organisms in these habitats must be able to swim or float.
Each habitat is home to a wide variety of organisms that are well adapted to their environment. Although we will only be able to observe a small portion of these organisms in this exercise, we hope that you will observe the organisms from the perspective of their habitat and the adaptation of the organisms living there to the environment.