Professor SF Light(1886-1947) author of Light's manual: Intertidal Invertebrates of the Central California Coast, the essential professional guide to the Central California coast.
Ed Ricketts, author of Between Pacific Tides, that most readable of guides to the Pacific coast seashore. When reading it, I feel like I am climbing down to the shore in the company of Ed, and John Steinbeck, Joel Hedgepeth and John Calvin and I can hear the gulls and smell the salt spray
Gary Brusca, my teacher, at Humboldt State University. This page is also dedicated to my daughters and all my friends who have come down to the beach with me to see what we can find.
A ROCKY COASTLINE
Come with me to one of the most beautiful spots on earth, the Rocky Intertidal Zone. Tide Pools abound in a protected outer coast and they are an especially fertile place for intertidal organisms and a wide variety can be found, covering almost every surface. In fact, many tide pool creatures are themselves covered over their surfaces with other creatures, seeking a toehold.
There are special problems in living in the intertidal area. Organisms that live there must have some method of attachment so that they are not washed away by wave action. They must adapt in some manner to variations in salinity, in exposure to the air, heat and sunlight, and to wave action. Maybe we can discover some of these adaptations as we scramble through the pool.
Low tide today is a -2 foot low tide, and we should be able to find lots of things. We'll head for the beach just before dawn, but we're lucky today, because the actual low tide occurs at 6:45, well after daybreak.
Wear warm clothing, easily washable, and blue jeans and comfortable sneakers with rubber soles that you don't mind getting wet. We'll be wading up to our knees. If you've never been tidepooling before, here are some things to bring
Early morning tidepooling with Friends.
When visiting tidepools there are some inherent risks. Here are some safety tips to keep your visit as safe as possible.
Above all remember we are VISITORS here. Take nothing away with you and disturb the plant and animal life as little as possible. If you turn over a rock, replace it as carefully and as promptly as possible, so that the organisms lurking underneath do not become dried out by prolonged exposure to the air and sun.Watch carefully where you place your feet and hands while making your way through the tidepool, avoiding injury to the organisms beneath your feet.
More safety and viewing tips can be found at TIDEPOOL SAFETY AND VIEWING
The rocky intertidal is divided into four zones, which roughly correspond to the amount of time the organisms located in that zone are exposed to the air each day, and with varying levels of high and low tides. Each zone has its' characteristic organisms, both algae, and animals. Some species are index species only to be found in a specific zone. Others are found in varying quantities in two or more zones.
If the following pages tweak your interest, read further. Several interesting web sites in which to begin your studies are the following.
MARINE BIOLOGY @ STANFORD UNIVERSITY
a series of web pages written by students of a marine phycology class.
NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY PHYCOLOGY COURSE
MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM HOMEPAGE
INTERTIDAL BIODIVERSITY PROJECT
VIMS-VIRTUAL MARINE EDUCATION PROJECT
ELKHORN SLOUGH NERR Homepage
ROCKY SHORES
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