This area is located beyond the engu1fing waters of the sea but within the spray zone of the high-tide waves, five feet or more above the mean low-water level. The area is characterized by bare rock surfaces or sheer cliffs which are often eroded into cracks, crevices, small depressions or enlarged caves. This portion of the marine intertidal area is least like the marine environment and presents the harshest habitat for marine organisms. A few organisms have successfully adapted to this zone and are fairly abundant and widely distributed along the southern California coast. Many of these organisms, such as the rock louse, appear to be in transition from the marine environment to the terrestrial environment. In fact, some of these organisms will crawl out of seawater if placed there.