Project:

Atlantic Coast Intertidal Zonation on Long Island Sound

Students:

Natalie Cuevas, Georgia Ignatiadis, Kaitlyn Dowd

School:

St. Dominic High School, Nassau

Mentors:

Pamela Shanley

Abstract:

Intertidal zonation, or the separation of the land between high and low tide into four zones, occurs differently along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Because of the weaker waves and tide on the Atlantic coast, species such as seaweeds, snails, and crabs will be found in a gradual zonation where zones will not be distinctly clear to differentiate between. Through this research, the way that different species can tolerate the intertidal zone’s irregular and unpredictable conditions will be determined. The samples will be collected using quadrats in zones labeled 1-4 from left to right, and A-D from the closest to the shore line to the farthest zone. The specimen will then be identified using iNaturalist, and if they cannot be identified using iNaturalist, they will be identified using DNA Barcoding.

Poster:

Team samples: