-littoral

(Latin > Italian: a suffix; seashore; pertaining to the seashore)

bathylittoral (adjective) (not comparable)
That part of the marine sublittoral zone (sea that lies between the shore and the continental shelf) that is devoid of algae: In her biology class at school, Janet learned about the bathylittoral areas of Florida, California, and North Carolina that are located on the coasts of the U.S.
circalittoral
The lower subdivision of the marine sublittoral zone below the infralittoral zone, dominated by photophilic algae; sometimes used for the depth zone between 100 meters and 200 meters.
eulittoral
1. The intertidal zone of the seashore.
2. The shore zone between the highest and lowest seasonal water levels in a lake; often a zone of disturbance by wave action.
infralittoral
1. The upper subdivision of the marine littoral zone, typically dominated by algae having a lower limit at the depth at which illumination is at about one percent of the surface level; sometimes used for the depth zone between low tide and 100 meters.
2. The depth zone of a lake permanently covered with rooted or adnate (attached) macroscopic vegetation; often divided into upper (with emergent vegetation), middle (with floating vegetation) and lower (with submerged vegetation) zones.

Adnate means to be closely applied to something; growing on; or attached along the entire length.

littoral (adjective) (not comparative)
1. A reference to the seashore: The littoralarea is an intertidal zone of the shore; sometimes used to refer to both the intertidal zone on the seashore and the adjacent continental shelf to a depth of about 200 meters.

The littoral environment is subdivided into supralittoral, eulittoral (intertidal zone), infralittoral, and circalittoral zones or areas.

2. The littoral shore of a lake has a depth of about ten meters where light reaches the bottom and where rooted plants may grow.
3. Etymology: borrowed from Latin littoralis, litoralis, "of or belonging to the seashore", from litus, "shore".

Borrowed in 1828 from Italian littorale, originally the descriptive term referring to "of the seashore".

The first recorded use of French was also in 1828, making the borrowing from Italian most likely, since Italian was used in 1728, and the earlier form litorale existed before 1498.

—This etymology was compiled from information located in
The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology, Robert K. Barnhart, Editor;
The H.W. Wilson Company; 1988; page 603.
Descriptive of a sea shore.
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littoral zone
1. The shallow water along the sea shore from zero to the depth where plants no longer root, about ten feet or three meters deep.
2. Also defined as the faunal (animal) zone bounded by the continental shelf; that is, down to approximately 200 meters.
3. Area on or near the shore of a body of water; such as, the region of the shore of a lake, sea, or ocean.
marine littoral faunal region (s) (noun), marine littoral faunal regions (pl)
A division of the earth's surface which includes all marine animals: A marine littoral faunal region is a geographical area of the zoosphere incorporating the entire number of marine creatures.
psammolittoral beach
The sandy area where the lake and the land constantly interact.
sublittoral
1. Relating to, living near, or located in the shallow water near a shoreline.
2. The area of a sea that lies between the shore and the continental shelf.
3. Of or pertaining to the biogeographic region of the ocean bottom between the littoral and bathyal zones, from the low water line to the edge of the continental shelf, or to a depth of approximately 660 feet (200 meters).
4. The marine zone extending from the lower margin of the intertidal (littoral) to the outer edge of the continental shelf at a depth of about 660 feet or 200 meters; sometimes used for the zone between low tide and the greatest depth to which photosynthetic pants can grow.
5. The deeper zone of a lake below the limit of rooted vegetation.
6. Being or situated in the zone of a lake extending from the lowest depth of rooted photosynthetic plants to the level at which the photosynthetic rate of flora equals the respiration rate.
sublittoral zone
1. Designating or occurring in the shallow-water zone of a sea, over the continental shelf and below the low tide mark.
2. Designating or occurring in the zone of a lake below the littoral zone, to a depth of six to ten meters.
supralittoral, splash zone, spray zone
The region of the shore immediately above the highest water level and subject to getting wet by spray or wave splash.