Be Full of Life and Live a Life of Wonder

A tide pool or rock pool is a shallow pool of seawater that gets trapped in between the rocks along the shoreline when the tide goes out to sea.  Tides are the rising and falling of sea levels that take place twice a day along most coasts. The name tide pools is very appropriate because they are pools of water created by the tides. 

These small pools at the edge of the ocean range from mere inches to a few feet deep and a few feet across. They are packed with sturdy sea life such as snails, barnacles, mussels, anemones, urchins, sear stars, crustaceans, seaweed, and small fish.  These rich habitats are regularly exposed to the air as the tide goes out during low tide and then they are covered by water again as the tide comes in during high tide. 

Tide pools are very diverse ecosystems.  There are a large number of plant and animal species which play a role in the tide pool ecology.  Some are the base of the food chain while others are the top.  Each tide pool may contain many food chains.  Algae and other plants are eaten by plant-eating zooplankton.  This plankton is eaten by larger, carnivorous plankton which are eaten by a mussel, a barnacle or other marine invertebrates.  The mussel is then eaten by an ochre star, which may be eaten by a sea otter or a gull.

Tide pools can get pretty warm with the sun beating down on them for hours during the day.  The animals in the tide pool need to be able to withstand warm temperatures and big temperature changes. The oxygen levels can also drop over time without the flow of fresh seawater.  As the ocean water retreats at low tide, marine life must adapt to being exposed to the air or in being in shallow pools.  At high tide, they must survive waves rolling in or crashing down. All the plants and animals must find food and protect themselves from predators. 

To keep from drying out at low tide turban snails draw into their shells and shut their doors. Mussels close up tight to hold in water.  Sea slugs hide under moist rocks or seaweed and giant green anemones fold in their tentacles and stick tiny shells on their bodies. 

To protect themselves from crashing waves at high tide limpets hold tight with a strong, muscular foot.  Sea stars stick to rocks with hundreds of suction-cup tube feet. Seaweeks cling with their strong holdfasts and acorn barnacles anchor themselves to rocks with glue.

To avoid being eaten sea urchins have spines.  Sculpins can change colour and their pattern to match their surroundings.  A decorator crab attaches tiny animals to its back so it is almost invisible and shore crabs hide under rocks.

To catch food gooseneck barnacles sweep the water with their feathery legs to catch plankton. Anemones use their tentacles to sting and paralyze prey. Bat stars stick their stomachs and digestive juices over their food to liquefy it and an abalone clamps down on drifting seaweed with its muscular foot. 

Some of the best tidal pools in the world include the Kaikoura tide pools on the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island.  The Kailoura tide pools have sea creatures like starfish, nursery fish and shrimp.  This area is also popular for whale and seal watching. The tide pools located off the town of Porto Moniz, in Madeira, Portugal are known for their seawater lava pools that are great for daytime swimming.  Saunders Rock in Cape Town, South Africa is a perfect place for swimming and enjoying the beautiful views as the sun sets. Giola Lagoon located on the Greek Island Thassos is a naturally crafted pool that is carved directly into the rock. According to ancient Greek lore, Giola was created by Zeus as a place for his daughter, Aphrodite, to swim.

These are the sayings on the bookmark called Advice from a Tidepool.

• Be full of life

• Live a life of wonder

• Look beneath the surface

• Weather the storms

• Follow the ebb and flow

• Know when to hang tight

• Be a Star!

Here are my comments about each of these sayings. 

• Be full of life - Be vivacious.  Vivacious means full of life. A person who is full of life has an energetic personality and prefers being active.

• Live a life of wonder - Be curious and discover new things.

• Look beneath the surface - Don’t judge a book by its cover.  Focus on the deeper aspects of something. 

• Weather the storms - This idiom alludes to a ship surviving a storm at sea or coming safely through some awful weather of some kind.  This saying is encouraging one to persevere and to reach the end of very difficult situations without too much harm or damage. 

• Follow the ebb and flow - Ebb and flow describes something that changes in a regular and repeated way. 

• Know when to hang tight - To hang tight means to wait before doing something.

• Be a Star! - Sparkle and shine!

Have a great day everyone.  Be full of life and Live a life of wonder.  

# living life abundantly  # published author  # travelling tuesdays