intertidal
adjective
in·ter·tid·al
ˌin-tər-ˈtī-dᵊl 
: of, relating to, or being the part of the littoral zone above low-tide mark
Examples of intertidal in a Sentence
animals that live in the intertidal zone
Recent Examples on the Web
Two years later, the intertidal zone of the Pacific Northwest coast is still recovering from a devastating heat wave.
—
Kylie Mohr, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2023
The decades-long photo series is also helping researchers understand the region’s natural variability, where the intertidal zone changes from boulder to boulder, bay to bay, year to year.
—J. Besl, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 June 2023
Together, the photos demonstrate the dynamism of the intertidal zone, where mussels, barnacles and seaweed clamor for real estate.
—J. Besl, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 June 2023
Another lesson: Putting these test reefs in the intertidal zone – where they’re exposed to the air at low tide – does a lot to protect them.
—Lawrence Specker | Lspecker@al.com, al, 2 June 2023
Explore the sea life of the intertidal area, watch the sky change into a watercolor painting as the sun melts into the horizon, and walk along the dramatic cliffs and caves.
—Karen Ruffini, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2023
Climate change pressures caused significant impacts across all of them, with intertidal and nearshore ecosystems the most vulnerable.
—National Geographic, 15 Apr. 2021
To harvest hā`uke`uke, shingle sea urchins that resemble purple, armored sunflowers, Hirata has to hike across slippery lava rocks, careful not to get tossed over when waves crash into the intertidal shores, to scrape up the crustaceans from the rocks with a pocket knife.
—Rachel Ng, Bon Appétit, 19 May 2022
Along the intertidal coastline of the U.S., from North Carolina to Maine, the species is considered invasive.
—Marisa Sloan, Discover Magazine, 15 Oct. 2021
See More
Kylie Mohr, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2023
The decades-long photo series is also helping researchers understand the region’s natural variability, where the intertidal zone changes from boulder to boulder, bay to bay, year to year.
—J. Besl, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 June 2023
Together, the photos demonstrate the dynamism of the intertidal zone, where mussels, barnacles and seaweed clamor for real estate.
—J. Besl, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 June 2023
Another lesson: Putting these test reefs in the intertidal zone – where they’re exposed to the air at low tide – does a lot to protect them.
—Lawrence Specker | Lspecker@al.com, al, 2 June 2023
Explore the sea life of the intertidal area, watch the sky change into a watercolor painting as the sun melts into the horizon, and walk along the dramatic cliffs and caves.
—Karen Ruffini, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2023
Climate change pressures caused significant impacts across all of them, with intertidal and nearshore ecosystems the most vulnerable.
—National Geographic, 15 Apr. 2021
To harvest hā`uke`uke, shingle sea urchins that resemble purple, armored sunflowers, Hirata has to hike across slippery lava rocks, careful not to get tossed over when waves crash into the intertidal shores, to scrape up the crustaceans from the rocks with a pocket knife.
—Rachel Ng, Bon Appétit, 19 May 2022
Along the intertidal coastline of the U.S., from North Carolina to Maine, the species is considered invasive.
—Marisa Sloan, Discover Magazine, 15 Oct. 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intertidal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1883, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near intertidal
Cite this Entry
“Intertidal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intertidal. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
intertidal
adjective
in·ter·tid·al
ˌint-ər-ˈtīd-ᵊl
: of, relating to, or being the area that is above low-tide mark but exposed to flooding by the tide
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