The top two shells are dog whelks and the bottom four shells are periwinkles. Typically found growing in clusters, mussels attach to rocks, the ground or other stable surfaces with strong threads of protein.ĭog whelks Here are the shells of two types of snails that live in Maine tide pools. They’re also a delicious offering on any Maine seafood menu. (Credit: Kate Collins / BDN)Įncased in teardrop-shaped shells, blue mussels are mollusks that are abundant along the Maine coast in intertidal and shallow, subtidal zones. “You have to know what to look for and be a little patient.” Blue mussels Mussels are seen in this 2008 file photo. “If you see one feeding, you’re lucky,” Hess said. But when under the water - say in a tide pool - they will often open their shells and sweep their legs through the current, ushering plankton (tiny, floating organisms) into their mouth. They also close up to regulate their temperature, Hess explained. “Often you’ll find them high and dry, and they’re all closed up so they don’t dry out.” “Barnacles are masters at being able to tolerate those really challenging conditions up in the high intertidal zone,” Hess said. When tide pooling, you may find them in or out of water. Encased in a rough, circular, white shell, this small crustacean glues itself to rocks and other submerged objects, usually in the company of other barnacles. One of the most common tidal pool animals in Maine, the barnacle is often overlooked because it’s tiny and immobile. Barnacles are tiny crustaceans that glue themselves to hard surfaces. Barnacles Hundreds of barnacles cover a rock in Blue Hill. If you give it a whirl, here are a few creatures you may encounter. “Tide pools offer a refuge in the intertidal zone for those things that prefer to always be underwater.”Įxploring these pools - an activity known as tide pooling - is a fun and educational pastime that’s especially popular among children. “They’re everywhere along the Maine coast,” said Helen Hess, an invertebrate zoologist and professor at College of the Atlantic.
They’re like little natural aquariums, rearranged with each new tide. These tide pools present the perfect opportunity for people to easily observe ocean life.
As the tide ebbs from Maine’s rocky coastline, pockets of saltwater are left behind, filled with a wide variety of aquatic creatures and plants.
0 kommentar(er)
