Unst, Shetland September 2014

The rocky shore comprises steep shelving bedrock with crevices, some of which support small rock pools.  

Tar lichen occurs throughout the littoral fringe and down into the upper shore where channel wrack and barnacles grow on top. Below the tar lichen, spiral wrack, limpets, barnacles  and winkles occur.

Habitat table:

Substrate	LR (Littoral rock)
Habitat	LR.MLR (Moderate energy littoral rock)		LR.FLR (Features of ilttoral rock)
Biotope complex	LR.MLR.BF (Barnacles and fucoids on moderately exposed shores)		LR.FLR.Lic.(Lichens on supralittoral and littoral fringe rock).
Biotope	LR.LMR.BF  (Pelvetia canaliculata and barnacles on moderately exposed shores)	LR.MLR.BF.FspiB (Fucus spiralis on full salinity exposed to moderately exposed upper eulittoral rock)	LR.FLR.Lic.Ver (Verrucaria Maura on littoral fringe rock)

Below are images of organisms you may encounter whilst rock pooling in these habitats:

The rocky shore is comprised of steeply shelving bed rock with crevices. Black Tar lichen occurs in the littoral fringe and upper shore, with channel wrack and then spiral wrack below . Barnacles, limpets and winkles  occur from the upper to lower shore at varying densities. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Lic.Ver (Verrucaria maura on littoral fringe rock), LR.LMR.BF  (Pelvetia canaliculata and barnacles on moderately exposed shores)  and LR.MLR.BF.FspiB (Fucus spiralis on full salinity exposed to moderately exposed upper eulittoral rock).

Below the  band of channel wrack, barnacles, small periwinkles (Melarhaphe neritoides) and edible periwinkle (Littorina littorea) among patches of tar lichen (Verrucaria maura).  Habitat classification LR.LMR.BF  (Pelvetia canaliculata and barnacles on moderately exposed shores).

Barnacles among tar V. maura 

Rockpooling destination: North Shetland, September 2014

The shore comprised of pebbles, cobbles and boulders slopes gently to the low water mark and is positioned within a sheltered inlet on the Northern extend of Shetland main land.

The upper most shore shore is characterised by lichens and succulent plants with a strandline of washed up seaweed and debris. Channel wrack forms a band in the upper shore before a blanket of fucoids come to cover the mid and lower shore.

Habitat classification:

Substrate	LR (Littoral rock)
Habitat	LLR (Low energy littoral rock)			FLR (Features of littoral rock)
Biotope complex	LR.LLR.F (Fucoids on sheltered marine shores)			LR.FLR.Lic (Lichens on supralittoral rock)
Biotope	LR.LLR.F.Asc (Ascophyllum nodosum on sheltered mid eulittoral rock).	LR.LLR.F.Pel (Pelvetia canaliculata on sheletered littoral fringe rock)	(Fucus spiralis on moderately exposed to very sheltered upper eulittoral rock)	LR.FLR.Lic.YG (Yellow and grey lichens on supralittoral rock)	LR.FLR.Lic.Ver (Verrucaria maura on littoral fringe rock)

Below are images of organisms you may encounter whilst rock pooling in these habitats:

    The shore comprises relatively stable pebbles, cobbles and boulders within a sheltered inlet .Habitat classification: LR.LLR (Low energy littoral rock).

  In the splash zone ‘supralittoral’ yellow and grey lichens occur amongst the black lichen, Verrucaria maura. A red succulent plant also occurs amongst the crevices. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Lic.YG (Yellow and grey lichens on supralittoral rock).

    Channel wrack (Pelvetia canaliculata) occurs as a band amongst Verrucaria maura in the upper shore. Habitat classification: LR.LLR.F.Pel (Pelvetia canaliculata on sheltered littoral fringe rock)

 New growth of P. canaliculata.

Spiral wrack (Fucus spiralis) with the occasional P. canaliculata occur below the main band of P. canaliculata of the upper shore. Habitat classification: LR.LLR.F.Fspi (Fucus spiralis on moderately exposed to very sheltered upper eulittoral rock) 

A barnacle

    New growth of F. spiralis

F. spiralis, Bladder wrack (Fucus vesiculosus) and Egg wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum).

  Egg wrack (A. nodosum) dominates the mid shore. Habitat classification: LR.LLR.F.Asc (Ascophyllum nodosum on sheltered mid eulittoral rock).

    Beneath the A. nodosum are limpets (Patella vulgata) and barnacles.

   Limpets, dog whelks (Nucella lapillus), edible periwinkles (Littorina littorea) and spirorbid polychaetes occur on boulders beneath the fucoid under storey.

   A limpet covered in spirorbid polychaetes.

  Edible periwinkles (Littorina littorea)

A flat periwinkle (Littorina sp.)

Ulva sp grows on the less stable mixed substrata.

  The surrounding edges of the inlet are comprised of a higher component of cobbles and boulders. Habitat classification: LR.LLR (Low energy littoral rock).

Rockpooling destination: South-west Shetland, September 2014

The large South-Westerly facing sandy bay is flanked by rocky headlands and is relatively barren of life. That which does occur is concentrated around the strandline.

Habitat classification:

Substrate	LS (Littoral substrate)
Habitat	LS.LSa (Littoral sand)
Biotope complex	LS.LSa.Mo.Sa(Barren and amphipod dominated mobile sand shores)	LS.LSa.St (Strandline)
Biotope:		LS.Lsa.St.Tal (Talitrids on the upper shore and strand-line)

Below are images of some of the organisms you may encounter in this habitat:

   The shore is comprised of mobile barren sand with strandlines at the successive tide marks. Habitat classification: LS.LSa.Mo.Sa(Barren and amphipod dominated mobile sand shores) and LS.LSa.St (Strandline).

    Clean mobile sand with amphipod burrows extend over vast expanses of the shore. Habitat classification: LS.LSa.Mo.Sa(Barren and amphipod dominated mobile sand shores).

    During the autumn migration many wades come to feed on sandy shores and amongst strandlines. Here the evidence of such feeding can be seen.

Fresh seaweed and jelly fish are washed up to form the strandline, among which the burrows of talitrids occur. Habitat classification: LS.Lsa.St.Tal (Talitrids on the upper shore and strand-line).

Jelly fish are washed up in the strandline during the summer months.

Strong waves wash up kelp (Laminaria sp) from the subtidal; on the kelps stipe and holdfast is a community of epiphytic organisms, including bivalves, red seaweeds, bryozoans and polychaetes.

Laminaria sp with a stipe covered by a variety of red seaweeds.

Laminaria sp with a stipe covered by a variety of red seaweeds and bryozoans.

Furbellows (Saccorhiza polyschides)

Sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima)

Thong weed (Himanthalia elongata)

Egg wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum) covered in bryozoa, blue common mussels (Mytilus edulis).

Egg wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum) covered in bryozoa, blue common mussels (Mytilus edulis).

Egg wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum) covered in bryozoa, blue common mussels (Mytilus edulis).

Egg wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum) covered in bryozoa.

Egg wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum) covered in bryozoan with a goose barnacle.