Marine, intertidal, sand, protected, eulittoral

Sand beaches in wave-protected are likely to have silt mixed in with the sand and thus they grade into the "mixed-fine" category. They are more stable than wave-exposed sands, making them a more favorable environment for burrowing and for deposit-feeding organisms. These habitats are found in bays and inlets with relatively little wave action, and may be bordered at their upper edges by salt marshes. The shallow water fish fauna in these habitats provides food for seals and for a variety of local and migratory birds, including mew gulls, grebes, and great blue herons.