Which stays suspended in water longer: fine sediments like silt and clay or coarser sediments like sand?
Fine sediments remain suspended longer and with even a small amount of wave motion than do coarser sediments, which settle to the bottom unless there is considerable water motion. 48. Where are finer sediments more common? Where are coarser sediments more common? In high or low energy environments? Fine sediments, such as silt and clay, are found in calm areas such as bays and estuaries. Coarser sediments, such as sands, are found in areas affected by waves and currents. 49. What is an advantage of living in muddy bottoms? Muddy bottoms (silt and clay) stay wet after the tide is out, so that the problem of desiccation is not as critical as it is in the rocky intertidal. 50. What are three challenges to organisms that live in soft-bottomed intertidal areas? Oxygen availability, getting around (locomotion), and feeding are all challenges faced by organisms in soft-bottomed intertidal areas. 51. What factors influence oxygen availability in soft sediments? The amount of detritus and the g