潮间带是在潮汐大潮期的绝对高潮和绝对低潮间露出的海岸。海水涨潮到最高位（高潮线）和退潮时退至最低位（低潮线）之间，会曝露在空气中的海岸部分。涨潮时，潮间带被水淹没；退潮时，潮间带露出水面。潮间带就是介于高潮线和低潮线之间的区域。潮间带的幅度、随潮差的大小、地区及坡度而异，潮间带可以缓冲海浪直接冲击陆地的力量，如果潮间带太窄太小，大浪将对陆地造成大破坏。潮间带也是我们亲近海洋时，最先接触的地方。海边丰富的生物，也是自然教育最佳教室。但是，它也是最容易受到人类破坏的地方，海边废土及垃圾的倾倒，污水、废水污染，都让潮间带生物面临更大的生存压力。潮间带环境也因地方的不同而有所差异，生活在其间生物也都不一样。一般可分为软底质的潮间带，如：沙滩、泥滩底质等，就像淡水河口的红树林；另一种为硬底质的潮间带，如：岩礁底质、砾石底质等。还有丰富的海贝，水草。还可以在上面修风力涡轮机以便于发电，修建大坝以保证安全。

The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore and seashore and sometimes referred to as the littoral zone, is the area that is above water at low tide and under water at high tide (in other words, the area between tide marks). This area can include many different types of habitats, with many types of animals, such as starfish, sea urchins, and numerous species of coral. The well-known area also includes steep rocky cliffs, sandy beaches, or wetlands (e.g., vast mudflats). The area can be a narrow strip, as in Pacific islands that have only a narrow tidal range, or can include many meters of shoreline where shallow beach slopes interact with high tidal excursion.