The Intertidal Fauna of Sandy Beaches - A Survey of the East Scottish Coast  <B>The Intertidal Fauna of Sandy Beaches - A Survey of the East Scottish Coast</B><P>A. ELEFTHERIOU AND M. R. ROBERTSON<P> Abstract</B><P> A total of 11 beaches, located on the east coast of Scotland, from John O'Groats to the Firth of Forth, were visited and their fauna and prevailing physical parameters measured. Examination of beach orientation, sediment characteristics, organic content, invertebrate infaunal populations and their abundance and biomass from all locations allowed the beaches to be individually characterised as to the factors responsible for the range of variation in the benthic infauna and environmental parameters. By applying a system of categorisation of sandy beaches according to their degree of exposure to the prevailing hydrodynamic conditions, the beaches of the east coast were arranged into exposure categories as indicated by their sedimentary characteristics and to the type and abundance of fauna recorded.<P> These data on faunal and physical characteristics revealed a coastline which is relatively sheltered within the firths but is severely exposed on the open coast.<B><P> Key Words:</B> Sandy beaches, physical parameters, faunal diversity, population abundance, biomass, exposure categories.<P> Scottish Fisheries Research Report Number 38, 1988. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland<P>