Tides affect marine ecosystems by influencing the kinds of plants and animals that thrive in what is known as the intertidal zone—the area between high and low tide. ... Sand crabs not only burrow to survive, they actually follow the tides to maintain just the right depth in the wet sand.

What factors affect ocean tides?

The relative distances and positions of the sun, moon and Earth all affect the size and magnitude of the Earth's two tidal bulges. At a smaller scale, the magnitude of tides can be strongly influenced by the shape of the shoreline.

What affects tides the most?

The moon, however, influences tides the most. The moon's gravitational pull on the earth is strong enough to tug the oceans into bulge. If no other forces were at play, shores would experience one high tide a day as the earth rotated on its axis and coasts ran into the oceans' bulge facing the moon.