No need to go 20,000 leagues under the sea, when you can find many and sundry life-forms among the surf and sand.
Tide pools are miniature windows into the ocean ecosystem. You can find them along the coastline in the inter-tidal zone—the area between high and low tide. As the water recedes, pools are trapped and left behind —often in rocky areas.
Tide pools harbor a fantastic array of bizarre and colorful life. First, you’ll notice the plants. Green feathery algae, wrack and colorful Irish moss cling to the rocks.
But sometimes, what seem to be plants are actually animals! Sea anemones come in colors from hot pink to bright orange and look like flowers on fat stalks. Though they won’t hurt you, the “petals†are stinging tentacles that they use to capture prey.
Rocks may be covered with what looks like bright orange, yellow and red lichen. But these are colonies of tiny animals called tunicates. Like barnacles, they make their home in one spot for their entire lives, and wait for food to drift by.
Larger creatures also lurk. Periwinkle and dog whelk snails creep along the bottom, blue mussels clump together, and little crabs scuttle to and fro. Sea urchins and sea stars slowly stalk their prey.
These hardy creatures survive some pretty extreme conditions. Twice each day, as the tide comes in, they are submerged in icy-cold water and pounded by waves. And when it goes out, they may be stranded in the hot sun and open air. It’s a tough life!
Tide pool exploring is a terrific way to introduce kids to ocean life—so get the whole family out there. But tread carefully and when you’re done, leave the critters where you found them.
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