Littoral zone

The littoral zone refers to that part of a sea, lake or river which is close to the shore. In coastal environments the littoral zone extends from the high water mark, which is rarely under water, to shoreline areas that are permanently submerged. It always includes this intertidal zone and is often used to mean the same as the intertidal zone. However, the meaning of "littoral zone" can extend well beyond the intertidal zone.

In oceanography and marine biology, the idea of the littoral zone is extended roughly to the edge of the continental shelf.

Littoral Zone Media

• Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.jpg

  The littoral zone of an ocean is the area close to the shore and extending out to the edge of the continental shelf.

• Portugal 20040711 027.jpg

  The intertidal zone of a beach is also part of the littoral zone.

• Klamath river estuary.jpg

  Estuaries are also in the littoral zone.

• Primary zones of a lake.png

  The three primary zones of a lake are the littoral zone, the open-water (also called the photic or limnetic) zone, and the deep-water (also called the aphotic or profundal) zone.

• Moon Lake shoreline - Riding Mountain National Park.JPG

  Shoreline of a lake with nearly unvegetated littoral zone