Ecology of a Rocky Shore Community

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Ecology of a Rocky Shore Community
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Zones of Life along a Rocky Shore

• Why are some animals and plants located in
  special zones and not all over?

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Adaptations for life on a high energy rocky
shoreline

• High energy waves
• Low tide exposure

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Animals on a typical New England rocky shore
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• Asian Shore Crab
• Periwinkle snails
• Blue Mussels
• Purple Sea Urchin
• Rock Barnacles
• Common Sea Star

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Algae on a typical New England rocky shore

• Fucus
• Knotted Wrack
• Ulva
• Chondrus
• Kelp

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Adaptations to life on a rocky shore
lineAdapting to Wave Shock

• Barnacles
• Cements shell to rock
• Snails
• Use a suction cup like foot

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Adaptations to Wave Shock

• Sea Stars and Urchins
• Tube feet with suction cup ends

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Adaptations to Wave Shock

• Blue Mussels
• Byssel Threads ( strong cables)

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Adaptations to Wave Shock

• Crabs and Lobsters
• Wedge into rock spaces
• Hide under rocks

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Adaptations to Wave Shock

• Sea Weeds (macroalgae)
• Hold fasts attach to rocks

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Rocky shore animal feeding adaptations

• Barnacles
• Filter food with feathery legs (filter feeder)
• Snails
• Scrape food with a radula - tongue with teeth
  (grazers and carnivores)
• Sea stars
• Use tube feet and stomach

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Reproduction adaptations
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• Barnacles are hermaphrodites
• Each barnacle has both male and female
  reproductive organs
• Marine snails mate and deposit egg cases
• Sea stars and Urchins broad cast eggs and sperm
  into the water
• Marine Arthropods like crabs and lobsters mate.
  Female attracts male using pheromones.
• After the female molts and mates with the male,
  eggs will later be deposited on underside of her
  abdomen and carried until they hatch.

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• Lobster with eggs
• Green crab with eggs