The Characteristics of a Sandy Shore at Pallarenda Beach, Townsville, North Queensland :: essays research papers fc

The characteristics of a sandy shore at Pallarenda beach, Townsville, North Queensland.IntroductionThe sandy shores of beaches can be considered as a very harsh environs to live in (Ted Klenk, 1999). Survival in such a home ground requires an organism to withstand strong wave and current action, tidal acclivity and fall, unstable substrate, heavy predation and wide variations in salinity and temperature (The Otter Island Project). either organism found in this type of harsh environment is specialized and highly adapted (The Otter Island Project). Fine, sandy beaches often occur in areas with take fire wave action (Californias Ocean Resources, 1995). While a more vernacular sand is found with heavy wave action (Californias Ocean Resources, 1995). The ramp gradient of a beach also helps determine the grain sizing of the sediment (Bascom, 1959). The steeper a beach is, the larger the sand particles (Ted Klenk, 1999). The piss system retention of coarse sand is quite low allow ing temperatures to rise tardily at low tide (MB2050 actors line nones). Any organisms on a coarse particle beach will not only commence to deal with the very unstable substrate but also the genuine danger of desiccation (MB2050 lecture notes).Fine sediment areas do not have much water moving through the particles (MB2050 lecture notes). and then any oxygen available is used up quickly by burrowing organisms (MB2050 lecture notes). There comes a point beneath the substrate where on that point is insufficient oxygen for organisms to respire, this is called the anoxic bed (MB2050 lecture notes). The anoxic layer is therefore much deeper under coarse sediments then fine (MB2050 lecture notes).The fish community of a surf zone is largely controlled by three factors (Robertson & Lenanton, 1984). The form of primary production input to the surf zone, the water movement pattern, and the geomorphology of the sandy beach (Robertson & Lenanton, 1984). Fish such as anchovies, herrings a nd mullets often inhabits surf zones around the world (The Otter Island Project).The aims of this essay were to examine somatogenic features and sediment-related characteristics of Pallarenda beach and the influence of these characteristics on the occurrence and distribution of the intertidal taxa. This prove also aimed to describe the fauna in the surf zone share of Pallarenda beach.Materials and Methods The beach studied during this experiment was Pallarenda Beach just North of the urban center of Townsville in North Queensland. The co-ordinates of the location were 19o11.8S, 146o46.6E. The beach experiences a tropical climate, the experiment was carried out on the 4th of March in the year 2000 later on much rainfall.