Ochre sea stars in a tide pool. Courtesy NPS
Where can you see sea stars? In a little piece of the ocean called a tide pool. These pools are home to many kinds of sea plants and animals and are found where the ocean meets the shore, along coastlines worldwide.
In the Tide Pool Zone
Sea anemone in a tide pool. Courtesy NPS
Tide pools are located in between high and low tides in one of three intertidal zones. The high tide zone is the furthest away from the ocean, and gets wave action only during high tides. Plants and animals living here have to be able to survive a long time out of water. Middle tide zones are covered and uncovered twice a day by seawater, so creatures found here have to be able to live in a place that’s constantly changing. Low tide zones are closest to the ocean and are always covered by water, except when there’s a really low tide. Creatures calling this zone home can’t live without water for very long.
At Home in the Tide Pool
There are many kids of creatures that live in tide pools besides sea stars such as sea anemones, mussels, barnacles, crabs, sea cucumbers, seaweed, algae and lots of tiny fish. These sea plants and animals must be tough enough to avoid getting washed into the ocean by strong waves and currents. They must also be able to hide from hungry shore birds, and the drying rays of bright sunlight. On hot, sunny days some tidal pools can dry up completely!
It’s Not Easy Living Tidal
Ochre sea stars in a tide pool. Courtesy NPS
A tide pool is always changing, so the creatures that call a tide pool home have to be able to live with all these new changes. Being able to change like this is called adaptation. Tide pool residents have learned to adapt, or live with, a water level that changes all the time; changes in water temperature of their pool from cooler to warmer; and the amount of salt and oxygen they find in their pool which can be changed by falling rain or the drying sun.
Look But Don’t Touch
Sea creatures in a tide pool have to be tough to survive in their extreme habitat, washed by the tides each day. But they aren’t so tough when humans are poking at them. Disturbing creatures in a tide pool can hurt or even kill them, so please don’t touch. Just observe and be amazed by all that’s going on in this “mini” ocean.
