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Every beach has a range of habitats, and different kinds of living things can be found in each habitat

Rocks on the Ngarimu Bay seashore, New Zealand.

New Zealand beaches include a variety of distinct habitats, each supporting a wide range of living things. All beaches share several characteristics:

  • Land forming their shores – hard, such as cliffs and rocks, or soft, such as sand or mud.

  • Presence of water – saltwater or a combination of saltwater and freshwater in mudflats and estuaries.

  • Tides (tai) – regularly fluctuating levels of water.

Within each habitat, there are a range of conditions to be found with specific adaptations needed by the inhabitants in order to survive.

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Image: Ngarimu Bay, Anne Barker.

Rights: Anne Barker
Published: 19 July 2021,Updated: 19 July 2021Size: 4.46 MB