AlexATidePools

=  Tide Pools =

Tide Pools like the ones above are created by water left over in crevices and pools of rocks after high tide.

Many different creatures inhabit Tide Pools, such as this small sea lemon. Sea lemons are slug like hermaphroditic creatures, and only live for about one year. (4) Although tide pools may seem calm, they actually create harsh living conditions. Organisms in tide pools have to be able to withstand, freshwater (due to rain), periods of little to no water, and drastic temperature change (5). Such animals that do make tide pools their home include: Sea Stars (benthic) Sea Anemone (benthic) Mussels (benthic) Hermit Crabs (free swimming) Kilifish (free swimming) Octopus (free swimming) Rockweed (plant) Red Coralline Algae (plant) Diatoms (microscopic) Plankton (microscopic) Tide Pools also have an abundance of plant life as seen above.

Tide Pools can be found on virtually any beach. California is especially popular for its tide pools due to the rocky coast line. Dangers of living in a tide pool: - Predators such as seagulls - Drastic change in water conditions such as temperature. - Being exposed to sunlight. - Periods with little to no water. Life in tide pools, as well as the animals living in them change all the time. In 1993, two students at Stanford found that many tide pools contained a large amount of sea anemones and tube snails, compared to sixty years ago when these species were not found in California tide pools. __How do tide pools affect humans?__ Tide pools are not only fun to see, they are also a great learning tool. Tide pools create a great and accessible way to study certain organisms and ocean life. **FUN FACTS!!!**

- When an octopus is stressed, it will start to eat itself, starting with its tentacles. No Way!!!

__Works Cited__

Izakson, Orna. "The California Coast." ////Find Articles////. CBS Business Network, Sept. 2000. Web. 9 Sept. 2010. .

"The Tide Pools of Cabrillo National Monument." ////Reef News////. Reef News, Inc, 2001. Web. 7 Sept. 2010. . This website was helpful with learning about how tide pools are formed.

- - -. "Tide Pools." ////Mgbnet////. Missouri Botanical Garden, 2002. Web. 9 Sept. 2010. .

- - -. "Tide Pool Animals." ////Thinkquest////. Oracle Education Foundation, 2000. Web. 7 Sept. 2010. . I used this webpage to gain information about tide pool animals

- - -. "Sea Lemon." ////Monterey Bay Aquarium////. Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation, 2010. Web. 9 Sept. 2010. .

Various Authors. "Mussel Feeding." ////Wikipedia////. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, 9 Sept. 2010. Web. 9 Sept. 2010. .

Unknown Authors. "Sea Anenomes." ////Think Quest////. Oracle Education Foundation, 2010. Web. 9 Sept. 2010. .

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