sandflats
Beach at low-tide
Sandflats are broad, level expanses of sand exposed at low tide or found in arid regions.
Along coastlines, they appear when receding water reveals the sandy bottom: We walked across the sandflats collecting shells.
Inland sandflats occur in deserts and dried lakebeds.
Also spelled as two words: sand flats.
Zone between high and low watermarks
- mudflatsCoastal areas exposed at low tide
- estuaryTidal mixing zone
- shorebirdsCoastal avian foragers
- tidal poolsShoreline water pockets
strandline · dunes · beachcombing · coastline · seashore · littoral · shoal · waders
Gradual retreat seaward
- flowUnbroken forward movement
- neapTide of least range
- spring tideExtreme tidal fluctuation
- high waterMaximum tidal level
low water · tidal range · exposure · submersion · tidal cycle · moon · lunar · currents
Animals without vertebral columns
- benthicOf the sea bottom
- crustaceansExoskeleton-bearing aquatic arthropods
- mollusksSoft-bodied invertebrates, often shelled
- bivalvesTwo-shelled mollusks
worms · clams · cockles · lugworms · burrowing · substrate · detritus · microorganisms
Extremely great in size
- stretchPull to extend
- breadthExtent across something
- panoramaUnobstructed wide-angle view
- vistaPleasing distant scene
terrain · landscape · open · featureless · windswept · desolate · barren · horizon
Grassy waterlogged lowland
- estuaryTidal mixing zone
- mangroveTidal shrub with exposed roots
- saltmarshCoastal wetland with brackish water
- deltaSymbol denoting variation
floodplain · reedbed · riparian · brackish · coastal wetland · waterfowl · wading birds · conservation
intertidal
Zone between high and low watermarks
- mudflatsCoastal areas exposed at low tide
- estuaryTidal mixing zone
- shorebirdsCoastal avian foragers
tidal pools · strandline · dunes · beachcombing · coastline · seashore · littoral · shoal · waders · foraging
ebb
Gradual retreat seaward
- flowUnbroken forward movement
- neapTide of least range
- spring tideExtreme tidal fluctuation
high water · low water · tidal range · exposure · submersion · tidal cycle · moon · lunar · currents · tidemark
invertebrates
Animals without vertebral columns
- benthicOf the sea bottom
- crustaceansExoskeleton-bearing aquatic arthropods
- mollusksSoft-bodied invertebrates, often shelled
bivalves · worms · clams · cockles · lugworms · burrowing · substrate · detritus · microorganisms · nursery habitat
vast
Extremely great in size
vista · terrain · landscape · open · featureless · windswept · desolate · barren · horizon · plain
marsh
Grassy waterlogged lowland
- estuaryTidal mixing zone
- mangroveTidal shrub with exposed roots
- saltmarshCoastal wetland with brackish water
delta · floodplain · reedbed · riparian · brackish · coastal wetland · waterfowl · wading birds · conservation · protected area