Regulatory Processes of Biological Zonation on Rocky Shores

Intertidal rocky shores present several organisms that are commonly distributed in specific zones or particular associations parallel to the coast, with species variations over short horizontal distances. The vertical distribution is related mainly to a gradient of emersion/desiccation and also to others physical and biological factors. Benthic community zonation patterns are well known, and this subject has been discussed by several authors. For marine biologists, the zones are extremely useful in a practical sense because they provide a convenient descriptive framework into which specific observations can be fitted. This chapter intends to deepen into the post-recruitment interaction processes between benthic species (competition, predation, herbivory) and how this leads to zonation and community dynamics.