Entering the Wet World of the Rock Pools

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

LORRAINE BULL, Development Officer with the Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT), talks to Mark Finnegan about the Irish Wildlife Trust and in particular about the rock-pooling event for families on Saturday 5th September.
Rock pools (or tide pools) are a home for hardy organisms such as sea stars, mussels and clams. They must be able to cope with a constantly changing environment — fluctuations in water temperature, salinity, and oxygen content. Huge waves, strong currents, exposure to midday sun and predators are only a few of the hazards that rock pool animals must endure to survive.

Waves can dislodge mussels and draw them out to sea. Gulls pick up and drop sea urchins to break them open. Starfish prey on mussels and are eaten by gulls themselves.
Although tide pool organisms must avoid getting washed away into the ocean, drying up in the sun, or getting eaten, they depend on the tide pool’s constant changes for food.

Wear your wellies!

See also http://www.iwt.ie/

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.