Malibu is a coastal town located in the county of Los Angeles, California. The coast has about 24 beaches most of which are north of the area of Cross Creek (Malibu Local Coastal Program [MLCP]). Notable beaches include Escondido, Carbon, Surfrider, Zuma, Broad, Westward, and Broad Beaches, just to name but a few (MLCP). Like all beaches in the state, the beaches of Malibu below the high tide line are technically public. However, some beaches are private especially the smaller and more remotely situated beaches. The geographical setting of Malibu is diverse and unusual. It comprises of a narrow coastline strip at the waterline with the Santa Monica Mountains rising abruptly from the sea (Malibu). The Malibu Beach is both sandy and rocky with slippery angular shards of volcanic rock outcrops dotting the base of the cliffs (Schad). The source and mechanism of distribution of the sand are attributed to factors such as the outflow of streams carrying silt from the adjacent canyons and the actions of storms, tides, and the breaking waters of the ocean (Malibu). The marine resources of Malibu Beach include the eelgrass and offshore kelps, the sandy and the rocky intertidal and subtidal habitats (MLCP).
The organisms in the Malibu’s intertidal zone (littoral zone) – the coastal space between the low and high tide lines – are adapted to the harsh extremes of the habitat (SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment). Even though water is available in this region, the quality and quantity of the water fluctuate from abundantly fresh with river flows and rain to high salinity and dry salt with the drying out between the tidal inundations (Horn, Martin, and Chotkowski). Adaptation for organism here involves making use of the nutrient supplies made available by ocean tides and swells during the high water volumes at high tides and coping without such supplies at low tides. While the Malibu may appear as a barren stretch of sand, the beach not only provides habitat for numerous plants and animal species, it also serve as the breeding ground for numerous other species that are not residential to the beach. This region teems with life and provides the ground of high primary production organisms such as seaweeds and various kinds of algae that serve as repositories for food inputs in the food chain of the beach ecosystem (Horn, Martin, and Chotkowski). At the beach, I spotted several organisms at the Malibu’s lowest tidal zones: the mussels, sea stars, green anemones, limpets, surf grass, sea palms, and two kinds of barnacles (Schad). The rich web of life at the beach attracts and supports several predator species such as seabirds and a variety of fish species (Schad).
The animals and plants in this zone show adaptations to intertidal life. For example, the many fishes inhabiting this region such as the sculpin and opaleyes can breathe air at the surface (SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment). This attribute enables them to survive in oxygen-poor water during low tides (The United States Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]). The periwinkle snails and other shell organisms on the hand secrete mucus to stick on the hard rock surfaces to prevent wash backs and withdraw into shells to prevent drying out when the tides retreat (SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment). The sea urchins, carve holes in the beach during low tides, and the anemones fold their tentacles to prevent drying out. Moreover, species like the sea cucumbers can regenerate body organs while the sea stars have the capacity to tolerate longer periods of dry exposure (EPA; SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment). One of the primary advantages of being able to move freely in the intertidal zone is that the organisms can easily escape predators as well as cope with the changing conditions.
Works Cited
Horn, Michael H., Karen L. Martin, and Michael A. Chotkowski. Intertidal Fishes: Life in Two Worlds. San Diego: Academic Press, 1999. Web. 5 May 2016. <https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=qOFRkdQ6Jf8C&dq=the+size+of+malibu%27s+littoral+zone&source=gbs_navlinks_s>.
Malibu Local Coastal Program (MLCP). "Malibu Local Coastal Program (Malibu, California)." Quality Code Publishing - Publishers of Municipal and County Codes. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 May 2016. <http://qcode.us/codes/malibu-coastal/?view=desktop&topic=land_use_plan-3-a_introduction>.
Malibu. "The Malibu: Physiography, Beaches, Canyons, and Streams." MALIBU COMPLETE. N.p., 2016. Web. 5 May 2016. <http://www.malibucomplete.com/mc_geography.php>.
Schad, Jerry. "Discover Intertidal-zone Marine Organisms at Malibu's Point Dume." San Diego Reader — News, Reviews, Events, Music, Restaurants, Movies. N.p., 4 Jan. 2001. Web. 5 May 2016. <http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2001/jan/04/discover-intertidal-zone-marine-organisms-malibus-/#>.
SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. "Tide Pools: Intertidal Ecology." Animals: Explore. Discover. Connect. N.p., 2016. Web. 5 May 2016. <https://seaworld.org/Animal-Info/Ecosystem-InfoBooks/Tide-Pools/Intertidal-Ecology>.
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). "Biological Communities: Intertidal, from Discovery of Estuarine Environments (DOEE)." Office of Marine Programs. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 May 2016. <http://omp.gso.uri.edu/ompweb/doee/science/biology/inter4.htm>.
