Twice a day the tide comes in and submerges everything below the high tide mark, twice a day the water retreats, exposing the intertidal mud. Nutrients are trapped in the layers and these are energy-rich, supporting an extensive food web. Plants find it hard to establish in this constantly changing environment.


The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) states that the Dornoch Firth intertidal area is an extensive, high-quality, and largely undeveloped estuary (designated a Special Area of Conservation, SAC )