Rockpooling destination:Near Mallaig, Scotland, May 2013

The shore comprises a small sandy bay with a cobble upper shore flanked by steep outcrops of bedrock and boulders, amongst which rockpools occur.

Habitat classifications: 

Substrate	LR (Littoral rock)		LS (Littoral substrate)
Habitat	HLR (High energy littoral rock)	FLR (Features of littoral rock)	LS.LSa (Littoral sand)
Biotope complex	LR.HLR. MusB (Mussel and/or barnacle communities)	Rkp (Rockpools)	LS.LSa.sh (Shingle and gravel shores)	LS.LSa.St (Strandline)
Biotope		LR.FLR.Rkp.Cor (Coralline crust dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools)

The shore. Habitat classification: LS.LSa (Littoral sand), LS.LSa.sh (Shingle and gravel shores) and LR.HLR. MusB (Mussel and/or barnacle communities).

Cobbles and pebbles comprise the substrate of the upper shore. Due to their mobile and porous  nature this is a species poor area of the shore. Habitat classification: LS.LSa.sh (Shingle and gravel shores).

Where a strand line forms fauna may be found as it provides a source of food and shelter from desiccation. Habitat classification: LS.LSa.St (Strandline) surrounded by LS.LSa.sh (Shingle and gravel shores).

Turning over the crisp seaweed within the strand line reveals a damp and moist environment where amphipods and terrestrial insects occur. Habitat classification: LS.LSa.St (Strandline).

The occasional wrack (Fucus spp) grows on the larger more stable boulders. Habitat classification: LS.LSa.sh (Shingle and gravel shores).

The ephemeral green algae Entomorpha spp. occurs where fresh water influx influences the shore during the spring/summer when the substrate becomes more stable. Habitat classification:  LS.LSa.sh (Shingle and gravel shores).

Entomorpha spp. Habitat classification:  LS.LSa.sh (Shingle and gravel shores).

The bedrock and boulders that flank the bay and extend around the coast are covered in barnacles and hold a number of varying sized rockpools. Habitat classifications: LR.HLR. MusB (Mussel and/or barnacle communities).

A coralline crust covered pool with limpets (Patella spp) and snakelocks anemones (Anemonia viridis). Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp.Cor (Coralline crust dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools).

Coralline pool with limpets (Patella spp), Uvla spp. and snakelocks anemones (Anemonia viridis). Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp.Cor (Coralline crust dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools).

Coralline pool with limpets (Patella spp), grey topshell (Gibbula cineraria), and open and closed snakelocks anemones (Anemonia viridis). Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp.Cor (Coralline crust dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools).

Coralline pool with daisy anemones (Cereus pedunculatus). Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp.Cor (Coralline crust dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools).

A serpulid worm in a coralline rockpool. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp.Cor (Coralline crust dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools).

Coral weed (Corallina officinalis) in a coralline rock pool. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp.Cor (Coralline crust dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools).

Coral weed (Corallina officinalis). A close up of the frond shows the white tips of new growth. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp.Cor (Coralline crust dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools

A china limpet (Patella ulyssiponensis). The tide had recently receded so that many limpets were still returning to their ‘scars’. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp.Cor (Coralline crust dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools).

Two china limpet (Patella ulyssiponensis). Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp.Cor (Coralline crust dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools).

Two limpets interacting; often limpets will slam the edges of their shells down on one another in such interactions. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp.Cor (Coralline crust dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools).

china limpet (Patella ulyssiponensis) on its way and covered in epifauna including coralline crust, brown algae and spirorbid worms.  Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp.Cor (Coralline crust dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools).

A small community algae, escape limpet predation by growing on its shell! Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp.Cor (Coralline crust dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools).

Coralline crust has completely engulfed this limpet. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp.Cor (Coralline crust dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools).

Coralline pool with beadlet anemone (Actinia equina), daisy anemones (Cereus pedunculatus), edible periwinkles (Littorina littorea), flat topshell (Gibbula umbilicus), limpet (Patella spp) and a blenny. The blenny lies perfectly still relying upon its camouflage to stay undetected.  Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp.Cor (Coralline crust dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools).

Edible periwinkles (Littorina littorea), beadlet anemone (Actinia equina) and Coral weed (Corallina officinalis) in a coralline pool. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp.Cor (Coralline crust dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools).