The Spray Zone is the uppermost area where the terrestrial ecosystem meets the marine world. It is a transitional area and varies in height and width from area to area. In the photo above, the pine forest meets the rock with some sparsely growing terrestrial plants. The gray rock face extends down toward the water. Patches of yellow lichen appear about midway down the rock face. The organisms that live in the Spray Zone must be tolerant of dessication (drying out), salt spray, wind, and occasional surf action. The terrestrial plants you see between the pine forest and the rock are tolerant of salt and are able to secure their roots in cracks and crevices where soil has been captured and held in place. The diversity of species is low in this zone. Do you remember what organism dominates the spray zone? (Hint) Let's meet this plant...