Maine's Acadia National Park features a picturesque example of a rocky shore.
Rocky shore ecosystems are highly specialized environments with species adapted precisely to their surroundings. Such ecosystems, made up of boulders and bedrock, account for 33 percent of all coastlines worldwide. These environments can be divided into four major zones, each revealed in phases. They may seem nearly lifeless at first glance, rocky shores are teeming with life that is highly susceptible to human damage; visits to these ecosystems must be carefully monitored so as not to cause any harm. (see References 1 and 2)
United Kingdom
Rocky shores are quite common among the coast of the United Kingdom, making up 34 percent of the total shoreline. Despite this continuity, these ecosystems are extremely varied among themselves, depending primarily on the type of rock that forms them. Rocky shores can be spotted all over the United Kingdom, including the northern stony sea loch inlets and much more exposed coasts on the Atlantic ocean. Parts of the Durham area, for example, are bordered by rocky cliffs formed by limestone.
Pacific Northwest
The northwest coast of the United States features a great deal of notable rocky shore ecosystems. California's extensive coast can claim a handful of its own, including the areas of Monterrey Bay, Big Sur, Pacific Grove and Carmel (see Reference 4). The rocky shores of the Gulf of Farallones near San Francisco are now part of a Marine Sanctuary, having been exposed on multiple occasions to such threats as oil spills. In Washington, rocky coast lines are the norm along the San Juan islands as well as the protected shores of the northern Puget Sound.
New England
Parts of the United States' New England coast are characterized by their rocky shore ecosystems. In fact, north of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, rocky coastlines dominate New England shores. Maine's coast, in particular, is known for its rocky shore coastlines covered with such creatures as mussels and barnacles. Much of Connecticut's rocky shore, on the other hand, is populated predominantly -- and in some cases, almost exclusively -- by algae
Africa
Approximately 30 percent of Africa's total coast is rocky shore, including much of the southern region such as South Africa and the southern shorelines of Mozambique and Namibia. The island of Madagascar, just off the southeastern coast of the continent, has a coastline of sandy shores interspersed with rocky beaches. The northeast coast, encompassing the diverse area of the Masoala Marine Park, exemplifies this combination with algae-ridden rocky shores such as those of the islands Nosy Hely and eastern Nosy Rangontsy. Meanwhile, rocky coasts make up nearly the entirety of the island's southeastern shores.
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