Lichen Zones

Horizontal bands (or zones) of color represent different species of lichen that have adapted to the conditions at different heights above sea level. Lichens near the top of a rocky shoreline (here a white color) do not get very wet, but do occasionally get sprayed with salt and bird droppings. Lichens just above the level of high tide get consistently sprayed with water but are completely immersed only during storms and they are typically gray, brown or yellow. Lichens between the high and low tide marks are submerged on a regular basis but also get exposed to the sun regularly—they form the black zone. Read more about seaside lichens on our blog.