We are bent over double on the slippery shore, the sea sending an occasional wave to threaten us with wet feet. Soon, the tide will turn, the sea creeping up slowly behind us. It will be hard to leave this magic place.

Dad is a marine biologist. He specializes in animals that live in the intertidal zone, the part of the shore that's exposed when the tide goes out. He brought me here today to show me the wonders of this special world.

All around us, the tide pools harbor marine creatures calmly waiting for the sea to return. With luck, we'll have time to peek into each mini-aquarium before we have to retreat to higher ground!

We notice that the lowest levels of the intertidal zone are the most crowded with life. The higher, dryer levels are sparsely populated. The steep rocky shore seems to be divided into zones.

We sit quietly on the edge of a shallow pool, its bottom rock-strewn. Nothing moves. Shortly the bottom debris begins to stir. What appeared to be small dark pebbles suddenly sprout jointed legs and lurch across the bottom: hermit crabs, members of the animal group Crustaceans, dragging their shells, just like RV's, as they search for a meal.

Then, we notice other movements. Tidepool sculpins (below), tiny fish that blend perfectly with the bottom, dart across the pool in a zigzag pattern, then stop and promptly disappear against the pebbles.

While the low tide leaves some animals high and dry, others stay underwater in shallow pools and channels. These creatures, like this nudibranch (left), or shell-less snail, simply continue their normal lifestyles, going about their business even though the sea has temporarily abandoned them.


Next to us is a narrow surge channel; seaweeds (right) are thick along both sides.

Brightly colored sea stars, members of the Echinoderm animal group, cling to the rocks. 

Looking like ice-green chrysanthemums, dozens of sea anemones (right) wave their tentacles at us from tide pools and crevices.

Many of the animals and plants we're studying have been exposed to air for some time. The conditions here in the intertidal zone must be very difficult. And yet, look what a crowded place this is!

At last the tide has turned; water flows into cracks and crevices, bringing renewal. We may not wish to leave, but tides wait for no one!

Our explorations of the rocky shore have taught us a great deal about nature's plan; no matter how stressful a habitat can be, all the plants and animals we've studied have found a way to live here. But humans are alien visitors to this fragile ecosystem. Dad points out how important it is that we avoid disturbing its residents. He explains the rules of intertidal etiquette.

First, we walk with care, stepping only on bare, dry rock, never on anything alive.

Second, we follow the rule: "Look, Don't Touch!"

"If you must handle a marine creature," Dad says, "do it gently, and always put the animal back in its original place, and position. Leaving a creature upside down, for example, could result in its untimely death."

If you turn over a rock to see what lives on the underside, be sure to turn it back over, in its original place. Otherwise, the creatures living underneath it may die from exposure.

If we all tread lightly through this fragile wilderness, it will always be here for others to explore.

Continue on for more insights into the intertidal zone and its residents. Go to the next page