When you next go to the beach have a look in the rock pools which are exposed at low tide. These pools are home to a lot of plants and animals which need to stay underwater when the tide goes out, so they shelter in the pools. The pools may look tranquil compared to the sea but life here is very harsh; the water can get very warm in the sun and can even dry up if it gets too hot and when it rains the water becomes less salty and more like a pond than the sea. So all the plants and animals you see have had to adapt in special ways to live there.
Here are some pictures of the plants and animals you are likely to see in this area but you will probably see many more once you start looking….
This picture shows sea anemones (pronounced an-em-on-ees) in a rock pool at Hackley Bay. They are animals which attach to the rocks in sheltered parts such as rock pools and under big rocks to protect them from the waves. Anemones feed by drawing food in through their mouths which is in the centre amongst the tentacles-they only have one opening though as they are very basic animals so they go to the toilet out of the same hole as what they use to eat! Beware, the tentacles you see on a anemone are stinging-do not touch! Anemones come in many different colours but usually you will see red ones. They only have their stinging tentacles out when they are covered with water so at low tide they will look like the picture below.
This is what anemones look like at low tide -little blobs of jelly. They close up like this so they don't dry up when they are not under water.
The picture below shows a 'home scar' of a limpet. The scars are where the limpets go back to each night after they have finished feeding. The limpets make these scars by using acid from their bodies to dissolve a little hole in the rock which is exactly the right size for their shell, this makes it easier for them to hold on in big waves and stop the water coming into their shell.
This is a typical rock pool, there are lots of empty shells in the bottom but some of these will be used by other animals as a new home, such as the hermit crab. There is also some red seaweed but look carefully as it comes in all shapes, sizes and colours-you will see seaweeds in red, brown and green.
GOING ROCK POOLINGWHERE? -There are many good places to go rock pooling south of Aberdeen - Catterline, Stonehaven, Muchalls are some. North of Aberdeen the coast changes and there are miles and miles of sandy beach. There are some sites for rock pooling though - Rockend on Forvie NNR, Collieston and Peterhead Lido.
WHEN? - Before you go check the tides. Tide times can usually be found in local newspapers and times for the next 7 days can easily be found on the internet. There are about six hours between high tide and low tide, so try to time your visit so that you are there at low tide to catch sight of the things at the bottom of the beach before the sea covers them again. The rock pools nearest the sea, lower down the beach will have the most interesting life in them as they are generally bigger and deeper and are only cut off from the sea for a short time.
WHAT? to take - You can enjoy rock pools by taking absolutely nothing at all and just be amazed by looking at things where they live. For a more detailed investigation the following items may be of use:
Just remember the golden rules of rock pooling;
-always go with an adult
-do not touch the plants and animals as many rock pool animals can sting, bite and pinch
-always carefully replace all overturned stones
-do not pull seaweed off the rocks-it can take years to grow back
-if you take any shells home make sure they are empty first, you never know what might be lurking inside!
-tread carefully to avoid slipping on the wet rocks
-please take your litter home with you or put it in a bin
-keep an eye on the tide and last but not least
-HAVE FUN
Well, the question is REALLY what does the tide bring into the rockpool, because it depends what is in the sea at the time. If a starfish got into a rockpool, it would be surrounded by seaweed, algea etc. That's what it eats! Leftover scraps like seaweed and dead plants that are usually attatched to the organism.
They get used to the environment and the body makes changes so that the animal will survive in the rock pool.
they can sneak in and out of rocks
how am i suppost
to know
Some animals develop violent adaptations to their environment. These adaptations are common among predators and cause them to be aggressive towards other animals.
a long tail to hit its predators with. dirp!
The adaptations of a sloth are that it grows algae on its fur and the algae helps it blend in with treetops from predators. Sloths have a good sense of smell to find and detect predators. Sloths can open and close their nose to keep termites from coming up their nose.
Grassland animals have a multitude of adaptations such as they have great speed to run from predators, or that they have a keen sense of smell and/or sight. Also they have antlers or horns to fight off predators or competition, common animals who have this adaptation are as elk or bison. They also live in dry windy conditions.
Its spikes, called quills ; this defensive adaptation protects the docile porcupine from predators.
they grow hard shells to protect themselves against predators and pincers so the can catch their prey. If they didn't have these things then the species could die out.
They are so small that no-one can see them, so they cannot be eaten by predators.
I know this isn't much, but the fish is so small it can fit through the teeth of other fish that are bigger than it in the rock pool. Also the fish has gills which allows it to swim far down in the water and stay in the water because one of its predators (the seagull) can't go in the water. Lastly, the fishes scales tend to be dark green so they can camouflage. But say the fish is a florescent color then because its small it can squeeze into small rock gaps.
adaptations of a ribbed mussel are its color to camouflage itself from predators and its hard shell also to protect itself from predators
If monkeys did not have adaptations to protect them, they would be destroyed by predators. Monkeys live in the trees in order to remain safe from predators.
Prey are the animals that predators feed on. Some adaptations prey have to escape from predators are having poison in their system and protective surfaces, like quills or scales.
1.the hermit crab is much smaller so it can hide and blend in much more 2.it will feed of starfish seaweed and any other thing smaller than it 3.if the rock pool has sand it will bury its self
run
because we like to take massive pool pool around the world
The Rock Pool was created in 1936.
dark fur to be camouflaged from predators.
The animals camouflage to hide themselves