A swath of land surrounding the islands of the archipelago that is covered and exposed by tiderise and tidefall, respectively. The tidebed consists primarily of mud flats, with areas of exposed bedrock and sandier soil. Depressions in the surface collect shallow pools of seawater, which leave behind a crust of salt as they evaporate. As the tidelands are a relatively recent development in the ecology of Europa, only a few native life forms have adapted to their amphibious——and inhospitable——environmental conditions.
The thin band on the outside of the arc of islands is known as the “exterior tidelands” while the broader area within the arc is known as the “interior tidelands”. The interior tidelands are home to the tidal nomads, who brave fluctuating temperatures, powerful winds, and a miscellany of other dangers to forage its unique resources. The interior tidelands are further divided into the “far tidelands”, which are nearest the sea and therefore exposed for a shorter time, and the “near tidelands”, which are nearest the land and therefore exposed for a longer time.