Seashells & Beachcombing for Kids: An Introduction to Beach Life of the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific Coasts (Simple Introductions to Science) - Softcover

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In her home state of California, Stephanie Panlasigui grew up 7 miles from the Pacific Ocean, where she enjoyed spending time with her family while swimming, spotting dolphins, and hiking on the bluffs. Stephanie began her career as a naturalist, guiding children to explore redwood forests, buckeye groves, tidepools, and sandy beaches. Now she works on understanding how restoring and protecting habitats can support thriving human and wildlife populations. She holds a master’s degree in environmental management from Duke University and a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences from the University of California, Berkeley.

From her home base in North Florida, Erika Zambello has explored hundreds of parks, reserves, and wildlife refuges across the Southeast and around the country. She was a National Geographic Young Explorer and serves on the board of the National Parks Traveler website. She holds a master’s degree in environmental management from Duke University and a master’s degree in strategic communication from the University of West Florida. As a writer, she has been featured in National Geographic Adventure, National Geographic Voices, Backpacker, Florida Sportsman, and other publications.

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Beach Basics

What Is a Beach?

A beach is the place where land meets a body of water, and sand builds up over time. When you think of a beach, you might think of a long, narrow strip of sand along the ocean, but beaches can also form along lakes or even rivers. But ocean beaches are the most widespread and probably the most well known.

Parts of a Beach

Supratidal Zone: This area may be splashed by waves during high tide, but it is almost never completely under water.

Drift Line or Wrack Line: This area or “line” is where shells or seagrass are left on the beach during high tide.

Intertidal Zone: This section of the beach is underwater during high tide, but it is exposed during low tide. It is often divided into three zones: Upper, Middle, and Lower. Because conditions change frequently in the Intertidal Zone, it can be a difficult place to live, yet many species have adapted to living here.

Swash/Surf Zone: This zone is where waves crash into the sand.

Subtidal Zone: This zone is always covered by salt water.

Barrier Island: Barrier islands run parallel (sideways) to the coastline and are made of shifting sands deposited by currents. They can change shape after storms or over time. They are very important for animals (some of which are specially adapted to living there) and people, as barrier islands often absorb wind and waves from storms and hurricanes.

Sand: Sand is formed from ground-up rock, shell, and fossils, giving different beaches a unique look and feel. Some beaches are famous for pure white sand, while others have pink, black, or even orange sand!

Dune: When sand is held in place by the roots of plants and further sculpted by strong winds, they form hills of sand called dunes. Dunes create important habitat for a range of native species, but they are more fragile than they look. Don’t walk on them!

Habitats on a Beach

Beaches are home to a wide variety of habitats, or places where animals and plants can live. Here are some of the most well-known types on beaches.

Mudflats: When the tide is low, stretches of land covered in mud and silt are exposed. Mudflats don’t have a lot of vegetation, but they provide habitat for many marine invertebrates (ocean animals that don’t have bones). Many bird species visit mudflats to forage.

Tidepools: Tidepools occur in the intertidal zone of beaches with rocky shores, and they can be explored during low tide. Species that live here have adapted to survive difficult conditions, including the force of waves, temperature changes, and long exposure to air and sun. Many tidepools can be found along the Pacific Coast because a lot of the coast has rocky shores. Rocky shores are less common on the Atlantic Coast, but Maine has rocky shores and offers some notable tidepools to explore. (For more on tidepools, see page 114.)

Mangroves: In Florida, mangrove forests grow right into the water. Mangroves are trees that are specially adapted to wet and salty conditions. Mangroves have prop roots that grow down from the branches for stability. Mangroves provide important habitat to a range of species, including nesting wading birds like herons and egrets, as well as barnacles, fish, and even deer! In fact, 75% species of fish that anglers like to catch in South Florida depend on mangroves for their survival. Did you know that mangroves protect people too? They protect the shoreline—and coastal communities—from erosion during storms and storm surges.

Estuaries: An estuary is where a river meets an ocean and the freshwater and saltwater mix. Many unique habitats are found in estuaries. Examples include mangroves (page 11) and salt marshes (below).

Salt Marshes: Salt marshes are low, flat areas that are affected by tides. Grasses and other plants live in salt marshes. This habitat is important for a huge number of birds, and essential as places to rest and feed for the birds that migrate north and south along both coasts on migratory routes called the Atlantic and Pacific Flyways. Salt marshes also offer a safe place for young fish to begin their life. There are many other animals that benefit from salt marshes, including otters, dolphins, and crabs.