Littoral zone

"Littoral" and "Litoral" redirect here. For other uses, see Littoral (disambiguation).
For the transfer of business or IT processes into a nearby country, see Nearshoring.
Different disciplines and agencies divide the littoral zone into different subregions, according to how they want to view the zone.
Marine habitats
Coastal habitats
Ocean surface
Open ocean
Sea floor

The littoral zone, also called litoral or nearshore, is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore.[1] In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely inundated), to coastal areas that are permanently submerged — known as the foreshore — and the terms are often used interchangeably. However, the geographical meaning of littoral zone extends well beyond the intertidal zone to include all neritic waters within the bounds of continental shelves.

  1. ^ Seekell, D.; Cael, B.; Norman, S.; Byström, P. (2021). "Patterns and variation of littoral habitat size among lakes". Geophysical Research Letters. 48 (20): e2021GL095046. Bibcode:2021GeoRL..4895046S. doi:10.1029/2021GL095046. ISSN 1944-8007. S2CID 244253181.