Rock Pooling Destination: Seapalling, Norfolk, England

Rock Pooling Destination: Seapalling, Norfolk March 2013

The shore at Seapalling is influenced by a series of artificial sea defenses that have changed the dynamics of the shore to produce multiple bays comprised of sand with shingle berms in between. 

After a week of spring storms a variety of subtidal fauna had been washed up in the strand line:

Thousands of razor shells  washed up on the shore.

Common starfish (Asterias rubens) in an intertidal pool. Note the wide tubular shapes also present- these are the insides of the razor shells that had been washed up on the shore.

A subtidal polychaete worm (opheliidae).

A subtidal seacucumber (Thyone spp.)

A subtidal anemone (Possibly Urticina spp).

The dorsal side of a sea mouse (Aphrodita aculeata)

The ventral side of a sea mouse (Aphrodita aculeata)

Crabs

A female shore crab (carcinus maenas) with eggs referred to by fisherman as gravid or buried.

A squat lobster (galatheoidea)

A slipper limpet (Crepidula fornicata)

Common whelk shell with a slipper limpet  (Crepidula fornicata) living inside.

A mussel (Modioulus spp.) 

Rocky shore communities of the artificial sea defenses:

Barnacles, periwinkles, limpets, sparse dog whelks and fucoids charecterise this habitat. 

Biotope classification: LR.MLR (Moderate energy littoral rock).

Rocky shore communities have formed on the artificial sea defenses; barnacles, Limpets (Patella vulgata) and the small periwinkle (Melarhaphe neritoides ) charecterise the equivalent upper and mid shore of the sea defenses. 

 Barnacles and periwinkles occur in a distinct band on the sea defenses.

A barnacle 

The common starfish (Asterias rubens) and beadlet anemones (Actinia equina). A number of  common star fish were washed up during the recent storms and were found seeking refuge amongst the sea defenses.

Common starfish (Asterias rubens) that have been washed in take refuge in the shady pools of the artificial  sea defenses.

The common sunstar (Crossaster papposus)

Ulva spp and Porphyra spp are ephemeral red and green seaweeds characteristic of mid shore communities influenced by sand scour.

On extreme low tides the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) can also be observed (photo taken in 2012)

Serrated wrack (Fucus serratus) occurs on the lower shore

Edible crab (Cancer pagurus) and common starfish (Asterias rubens) seek refuge in the crevices between the stones of the sea defenses after being washed up in the recent storms. 

The common starfish (Asterias rubens) and razor shells washed up by the recent storms.

Common Echinoderms of the shore

Common echinoderms of the shore:

Echinoderms have a hard exterior or spicules and include starfish, seaurchins and seacucumbers.   When the tide is out the best place to look for echinoderms are under boulders in rock pools.

Below are images of the common species of echinoderm you may encounter whilst rock pooling in the UK:

A Common starfish (Asterias rubens) washed up on the shore. Common starfish are orange with five arms of equal proportion and lines running down the arm mid line.

Asterias rubens on under side of a boulder.

A young Seven armed stafish (Luidia ciliaris) in a rock pool of the lower shore. As their name suggests these are the only starfish to have seven arms.

Luidia ciliaris

The Spiny starfish (Marthasterias glacialis)

The Spiny starfish (Marthasterias glacialis) has a thorny appearance from which it gets its name.

The Common sunstar (Crossaster papposus) has many arms that 
radiate like a sun.

Bloody Henry Starfish (Henricia oculata)

Cushion star (Asterina gibbosa) - a squat starfish usually found under stones and boulders in rock pools.

Asterina phylactica is a squat starfish with red pigment.

A brittlestar (Ophiothrix fragilis)

Ophiothrix fragilis

A black brittle star (Ophiocomina nigra)

Smaller brittlestars (Ophiuroidea) can be difficult to identify in the field.

A featherstar (Antedon bifida)

A green seaurchin (Psammechinus miliaris) 

A green seaurchin (Psammechinus miliaris)

The remains of a sea urchin (Echinus esculentus)

A heart urchin (Echinocardium cordatum). Usually it would buried in the sand.

A seacucumber (Holothurian) appears soft but has many spicules in its skin making it an echinoderm.

Salthouse- Norfolk- June 2012

Rock pooling destination: Salthouse, Norfolk, June 2012

The shore is comprised of shingle and has a stepped profile. On this occasion hundreds of common starfish (Asterias rubens) had been washed up on the shore; such strandings occur periodically when strong tides and winds wash the starfish off of the mussel beds that lie off the coast.

Habitat Classification: LS.LCS.sh.BarSh (Barren littoral shingle).

 

 

 

Shore comprised of shingle.
Habitat Classification: LS.LCS.sh.BarSh (Barren littoral shingle).

The shore has a 'stepped' profile.

The shore is barren of life, due to the mobile nature of the sediment and its inability

to hold water within the interstitial spaces of the pebbles.

Hundreds of common starfish (Asterias rubens) washed up in the strand line.

Hundreds of common starfish (Asterias rubens) washed up in the strand line.




Sea campion grows sporadically in the upper shore.