A paper by Amber
Tide pools give you a peek into the underwater world in a miniature form. Tide pools are where colorful fish, vibrant coral, and many interesting creatures can be found. Tide pools are not only beautiful but they are a unique and important pool that help the environment and scientists to better understand marine life. But humans are harming them through pollution, over fishing and coastal development.
What Are Tide Pools?
Tide pools are a type of pool formed from the ocean. When the ocean’s is at high tide, it goes above the rocks by the sand but at low tide, some water gets left in between some rocks and that is how tide pools form. There are many living things in the interesting tide pools. A few of them are: Hermit crabs, crabs, sea urchins, limpets, barnacles, and even octopuses. All of these animals have to be very strong and able to stand the power of the ocean. Some of them curl up into their shells and some have special anchors or threads to grip on to a rock or sand there are even some that hide under seaweeds to not get washed away.
Where Are Tide Pools Found?
Tide pools can be found all around the world. They can be found also in both cold and hot places. Plants and animals can be different depending on where you look. They are mostly found on rocky beaches, and there are a lot of them in South Africa in Kini Bay and also in Santa Cruz, California.
How Tide Pools Help the Earth
Tide pools provide a home for more than 50 sea creatures. Theses creatures have to be able to live with a lot of different conditions and environments because every wave that comes, might wash new things into the pools. It also might change the temperature of the water in their pools. Tide pools are important because they:
-have a very different ecosystem than the rest of the ocean
-make it easier for the marine life researchers and biologists
-they provide protection for the marine creatures
-support the food chain of sea animals
-provide a good edge to cling on and good hiding places
-fantastic food for predators
Human Impact on Tide Pools
Last few years, human activity’s like over fishing, pollution and costal development has effected the balance of tide pools. There were once many sea animals and now some of them are endangered or even extinct due to human activity and climate change. When oil spills happen in the ocean, it will not just affect the ocean, it will also affect the tide pools. Human fishing and animal harvesting is also a big problem because they are using animals as food, bait and even for home aquariums. Chemicals used to clean up oil spills also effect sea life. Littering in tide pools also hurt the tide pool creatures.
Fun Facts About the Creatures Found in Tide Pools
-A giant green sea anemone swallows it’s prey whole
-A hermit crab has 5 pairs of legs
-A sea cucumber caches food with its feet
-A sea star has unlimited growth of Limbs
-A male sea spider keeps its young on its back legs
Conclusion
Tide pools are such a unique and beautiful resource on Earth so humans need to protect them. Only then can the next generation enjoy them as well.
