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Modification of the coastal environment by human activities often leads to an increase in sedimentation of nearshore waters, with potential impacts on benthic marine assemblages. Here we assess the relationships between the levels of sedimentation, wave exposure and benthic organisms on rocky intertidal platforms around the Kaikoura Peninsula in southern New Zealand. We designed and tested five sediment traps to provide a tool for measuring the relative abundance of sediment across sites. Using field- and laboratory-based experiments, we tested hypotheses concerning whether different levels of sedimentation affected algal germling survival and algal zygote attachment, and whether the interactions of grazers and sediments affected germling survival. Levels of sediment and exposure were inversely related across seven sites. The fucoid alga Hormosira banksii characterized the more sedimented wave …