author(s)
Narshivudu Daggula, Lakshmipathi MT, Padmanabha A, Vadithe Reddynaik, Lingesh, Chalapathi Kovvuri and Praveen Joshi HS

abstract
The marine ecosystem is one of the richest ecosystem, in that intertidal zones are such fascinating ecosystems which have been pulled towards scientific community since many years. The intertidal, sometimes called the littoral zone, is defined as the part of the seafloor that lies between the highest high and lowest low tides. An investigation was carried out from August 2016 to July 2017 in the selected beaches of Mangaluru, to understand the spatial and temporal abundance and distribution of intertidal organisms. Regular monthly samplings were carried out at three beaches of Someshwara, Panambur and Bengre at nine selected stations over a period of 12 months between 12°47' 748" N to 12° 56' 449" N and 74° 50' 780" E to 74° 48' 207" E was studied. In the present study, in all the three beaches four phyla of invertebrates Mollusca, Arthropoda, Annelida and Echinodermata were reported among all phylum Mollusca was dominated. Total bivalves (14genera), Gastropods (16 genera), Scaphopods (2 genera), Crustaceans (6 genera), Polychaetes (7 genera), Nematodes, Echinodermata (3 genera) were recorded in the present study. Analysis of variance revealed that organisms did not vary according to beaches though the variation was seen in different months and season. The study concludes that though these beaches are moderately disturbed due to anthropogenic activities, they still support a rich intertidal biodiversity which needs immediate attention for protection and conservation.