Source: Tristan
Aldridge and George Taylor of Weymouth
College (see below).
The mid tide rock
pools are a network of tidal channels which are filled at mid
tide and retain some water at low tide. The water in the pools
is changed every tide and along with it come materials and free-swimming
animals. The basis of life in the rockpools is the seaweeds
and other algae. The seaweeds that grow in these channels are
mainly Sea Lettuce and Spiral Wrack. They don't grow very large
and they attach themselves to rocks and the edges of the rockpools.
Spiral Wrack
Common Prawn
The seaweed provides
food for Chitons. Rough Winkles, which graze the Spiral Wrack,
are found mostly on it. Smaller algae provide food for Purple
and Toothed Topshells and Limpets. These are coned shell creatures
and live on the rocks. Beadlet and Snakelocks Anemones are found
attached to the rocks under the water and live on small animals
such as plankton. Prawns are numerous in the pools and easy
to see. They live on the dead plant and animal matter brought
in on the tides. Bootlace Worms can grow up to 5 metres or more
and can be found burrowed in the mud, living on dead animal
matter.
Oystercatchers, birds
with long orange beaks for breaking shells, live on Limpets,
Chitons and Mussels. There is mainly one type of fish found
in these pools, the Sand Goby, which can be found hiding under
rocks and in gullies in the pool walls. There are several types
of crabs in the pools but the most common is the Shore Crab.
They are mainly quite small and can be found under rocks and
in gullies in the walls of the pools.
