Rocky shore - Coll- The Hebrides

Rock pooling destination: Coll, Scotland June 2012

On the shore sandy stretches of beach are bordered by large rock outcrops.

Lichens dominate the upper ‘splash zone’ of the rocky shore, with fucoids forming distinct bands beneath.  Small Coralline pools occur sporadically among the outcrops and sandy pools form within the gullies. The sandy shore is comprised of medium to fine sand.

Habitat classification:
LR.FLR.Lic (Lichens or small green algae on supralittoral and littoral fringe rock); LR.MLR.BF (Barnacles and fucoids on moderately exposed shores); LS.LSa (Littoral Sand).

The sandy shore is bordered by rocky outcrops.

 LR.FLR.Lic (Lichens or small green algae on supralittoral and littoral fringe rock).

Sea Ivory (Ramalina siliquosa)



Tar Lichen (Verrucaria maura) and Orange Lichen (Xanthoria parietina )

Tar Lichen (Verrucaria maura) and Orange Lichen (Xanthoria parietina )

Blackshields (Tephromela atra)

Orange Lichen (Xanthoria parietina)

Small red mite.

Drift wood with Piddock (shipworm) holes.

Drift wood with Piddock (shipworm) holes.

Strandline with sandhopper burrows. Habitat classification:

LS.LSa.St.Tal  (Talitrids on upper shore and strand- line)

Sandhopper

Zonation of the rocky shore - Tar Lichen (Verrucaria maura) below which
a band of channel wrack (Pelvetia canaliculata) forms.

Cladophora grows within a crevice.

Spiral wrack (Fucus spiralis)

Polysiphonia is epiphytic on Egg wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum).



Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus).

Cladophora

Beadlet anemone (Actinia equina).

Anemones in a crevice of a coralline pool.

Different species of seaweed dominate at different heights on the sea shore.

Limpets (Patella vulgata) amongst Spiral wrack (Fucus spiralis).

Chlorophyta

Flat periwinkle (Littorina obtusata).

LS.LSa (Littoral Sand).

Rocky shore of Tiree- The Hebrides

Rock pooling destination: Tiree, The Hebrides, Scotland, June 2012

On the shore stretches of sandy beach give way to large rock outcrops which alternate with aggregations of boulders, amongst which are numerous crevices and rock pools.

Barnacles dominate with fucoids occurring in patches, other seaweeds and fauna such as whelks, winkles, limpets and mussels are confined to the crevices and rock pools.

Below are photographs of some of the organism you may come across in this habitat:



Rocky shore at Tiree. Habitat classification:

Habitat classification: LR.MLR.BF.FspiB (Fucus spiralis on exposed to moderately exposed upper eulittoral rock)




Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) in crevice.

Rough periwinkle (Littorina sp)

Barnacles and Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) in crevice

Barnacles

Spiral wrack (Fucus spiralis)



Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus)

Polysiphonia growing on fucoid wrack

Cladophora and common limpets (Patella vulgata)

Ephemeral green seaweed dominates pools in summer -
Enteromorpha intestinalis /Ulva spp

Ephemeral green seaweed dominates pools

Coralline crust dominated rock pool. Habitat classification:
 LR.FLR.Rkp.Cor (Coralline crust-dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools)

Coralline crusts dominate the rock pool, whilst barnacles dominate above.

Coralline crusts dominatethe  rock pool with barnacles and fucoids
covering the edges.

Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) and Beadlet anemone (Actinia equina)
in a coralline pool.

A limpet (Patella sp) and Rough periwnkle (Littorina sp)
in shallow pool.

Blenny hides behind weed.

Coral weed (Corallina officinalis) in shallow pool.

Serrated wrack (Fucus serratus) and Sea oak (Halidrys siliquosa) are confined
within the coralline pool, whilst barnacles and common limpets (Patella vulgata) occur above.

Sea oak (Halidrys siliquosa) dominates a coralline pool on the lower shore.



Seaweed diversity within the coralline pools increases down the shore.

Reproductive organs of serrated wrack (Fucus serratus).



Sand binder (Rhodothamniella floridula) occurs on rock through out the
 lower shore where it out crops adjacent to sand.

Edible periwinkle (Littorina littorea).



Worm cast of a Lug worm (Arenicola marina).