3. PORT OF ARMINTZA This is a small old port lying in the cove of the same name. Access to it is both difficult and dangerous, due to the many stones and low- lying rocks along the entrance channel at the end of the pier and over to the west. Location: l: 43-26 N L: 02-54 W Tidal range: 4.5 m Entrance mouth: Width: 10 m Depth in L.W.O.S.T.: 1m. 10 metres wide dangerous entrance channel. Orientation: W Armintza is one more example of a former fishing port which has become a harbour for recreational watercraft.

4. GEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF ARMINTZA The especial shape of the bay of Armintza has been created due to its uncommon geological structure; the type of rock and the relative position of rocks to the sea has determined the rate of erosion of the area.

5. As it can be seen in the picture above, the volcanic rocks have protected the land from the erosion and thus has created a small peninsula, which structure should have been eroded if the volcanic rocks would not have been there.

7. THE COASTAL ZONE The coastal zone is one of the richest areas in the world due to the high availability of nutrients from several sources. We can distinguish three main zones: Types of habitat on the coastal zone: -The water column (pelagic environment) -The bottom (benthic environment): *Hard (rocky) *Soft (sandy, muddy)

8. Plants and animals are distributed in horizontal zones along rocky shores according to their particular adaptations to exposure and wave shock. There are some species that have distributions that are wide and some species that have narrow distributions. Some species have sharp boundary zones whereas some species gradually fade out. Some species share precisely the same upper and lower limits of distribution, while some species overlap only part of another species zone and some species never come in contact with one another Armintza has a northwest coast rocky intertidal zonation:

11. The Intertidal Zone is an ECOTONE, that is located between the continent and the sea. Its distribution is limited by the high and low tides. In the intertidal zone there are enough nutrients, but there is no stability. All the phyla are represented here. The intertidal zone can be divided in four areas:

12. 1-.Spray (supra-littoral): -The uppermost zone that extends from the highest reach of spray and stom waves to about the mean of all high tides. -This zone is infrequently wetted. -Organisms living in this zone are very hardy and semiterrestrial. -The communities of lichens are dominant. -Littorina neritoides is a characteristic species of this area.

13. 2-.High (mid-littoral): -This zone extend from the mean high water to about the mean flood of the higher of the two daily lows which is slightly low below mean sea level. -This zone is just above the mussel beds. It is also called the Balanoid zone. -Species that can suffer long uncovered periods appear forming a brown narrow belt, such as Fucus spiralis and Pelvetia canaliculata.

14. 3-.Mid (lower mid-littoral): -This zone extends from the mean higher-low water to the mean lower low water wich is the zero of the tide tables. -This zone is tipically covered and uncovered twice each day. -It is also called the lower Balanoid zone. -Among seaweeds, the most important are Cystoseira spp., Gelidium sesquipedale and Gigartina elongata.

15. 4-.Low (infra-littoral fringe): -This zone typically is uncovered only by minus tides. -It can only be examined for a few hours each month. -The biodibersity of this area is very high. -Organisms of this zone can tolerate only minimum exposure. -It is also called the Laminaria zone.