What is the significance of each coastal/shelf zones?

Rocky bottom/ soft bottom intertidal

Estuary

Salt marsh

Mangrove

Coastal zones

Explanation:

Soft bottom intertidal habitats include seabed made up of fine grains of sediments, sand and mud. Depending upon the grain size of the sediment, depth of the seabed, temperature and light exposure, growth of bacteria or microalgae, the biodiversity of these habitats varies. A vast population of burrowing marine organisms like clams, crabs, snails, shrimps, skates, fluke, rays, sea cucumber etc are all found in this habitat. Commercial fishing is a main hazard in this habitat.

An estuary represents an area composed of water and wetland, where a freshwater body (like rivers, stream) meets an ocean. The unique feature of this habitat is the presence of salty brackish water which is a mixture of the salty ocean water and the fresh water.

Salt marsh is a coastal wetland that is mostly flooded and drained by the tidal salt water. The wetland is composed of mud and peat and hence is marshy. Tides often submerge the marshes and hence contain decomposed organic matter.

Mangroves are wetlands found along tropical areas with brackish waters. These help to prevent the ocean coastline. Halophytic plants and trees occupy these areas and form the typical mangrove forests in this habitat. Mangrove trees are unique with its prop root

a unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.