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Malta Rocky Beaches
Information
The Maltese Islands are found in the Mediterranean, between Sicily and northern Africa. The islands are tilted towards the northeast; as a result they are characterized by high cliffs on the southwestern coast and low shorelines on the northeastern side. The Maltese Islands display different inlets which are partially drowned valleys, such as is observed at Wied iz-Zurrieq in southern Malta.
In the science of beaches, a biologist defines the
beach by its principal natural biological function:
“a habitat” for birds, turtles, shellfish, and
meiofauna (microscopic organisms that live
between the sand grains).
(Pilkey et al. 2011)
Sandy Beaches
Sandy beaches are formed by deposition of sand and fine sediment which is a result of erosion of bedrock. Sandy shores are mostly dominated by burrowing animals such as beetles and woodlice.
Rocky Beaches
Rocky shores are formed as a result of wave action which erodes the bedrock. The harsh conditions present make rocky beaches a difficult habitat for organisms to tolerate. A typical characteristic of such beaches is the blackish-brown coloration of rocks. This is usually due to the microscopic algae or cyanobacteria living on the rocks. Lichens such as Verrucaria spp. are also commonly found covering rock.
Rock pools are a common occurrence on rocky beaches. These can be classified into two groups, namely seawater rock pools and freshwater rock pools. Freshwater rock pools are more stable, as seawater pools are under constant wave action which replaces the water and eliminates the species found in it. Rock pools which are found further inland are less affected by this action and thus more stable and are able to sustain a greater diversity such as periwinkles. Barnacles and limpets are more resilient species and are characteristic of the area closer to the sea.
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