Rock Pooling: March 2014

Friday, 21 March 2014

Rockpooling destination; Revisit of Land’s End peninsular January 2014

The dynamic nature of the sediment regime at this cove is exemplified by the following images taken four months apart over the winter.

Since September winter storms have eroded the overlying sand at the top of the shore to reveal the boulders beneath.

Visiting the shore at different stages in this cyclic pattern would result in varying habitat classifications, illustrating the importance of temporal scales when rockpooling.

September 2013 January 2014
The overlaying sand has been eroded to reveal the boulders beneath.

Rock Pooling Etiquette

Rock pooling is a fun and fascinating activity and it is important to respect the marine organisms you encounter.

The best time to go rock pooling is at low tide when the intertidal zone is exposed. The intertidal zone is the area of the shore that is covered and exposed by the sea as it rises and falls. It experiences daily fluctuations in environmental conditions and the creatures that live there will have
positioned themselves to reduce the extremes they must endure. Therefore it is important to return creatures to the place that you found them and to return any boulders or seaweeds you may have overturned in your pursuit.