Although frequently overlooked as a plant community, there is an abundance of life in the intertidal zone along the coast. In place of the usual plant structure, algae is characterized by blades, stipes and holdfasts. Brown algae is particularly suited for the cold Pacific Ocean.
Red algae is still more abundant and comprises most species of seaweed in the world.
The former is a purple colored seaweed that is also cultivated in east Asia and routinely used in Japanese cooking. The latter is a large, flat seaweed covered with papillae and common in the intertidal and low subtidal zone. Unlike terrestrial zones, however, intertidal zonation occurs in nine vertical feet requiring all species to be uniquely adapted for these extreme conditions. Species differ in their ability to tolerate exposure to extreme wet or dry conditions, and thus occur at different locations along the intertidal gradient. The intertidal plant community is characterized by high and low stress conditions.