Life In A Tide Pool

Learn how Sea Slugs and Nudibranchs can survive, the amazing adaptations they have and where to find them in tide pools

Mussels and clams are a very common in tide pools. They are the primary food source for many animals in tide pools including sea stars and predatory snails. They can filter huge amounts of water and are great space competitors. Mussels and clams can also contain high concentrations of toxins that can be deadly to humans.

Learn all about barnacles while exploring the tide pools at Crystal Cove State Park and visit a the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium to learn how they grow and care for barnacles.

Sea Stars are very fascinating animals that are very strong, have thousands of tube feet and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They have all but disappeared from tide pools due to a mysterious disease. Several snails are common in tide pools if the visitor knows what to look for including the predatory snails like whelks.

There are two types of Sea Urchins commonly found in tide pools, the purple and the red sea urchin. They tend to stay in the same place and eat drift sea weed that passes by. Sea Urchins are big business and produce millions of dollars a year in sales.

There are several types of crabs that live in tide pools. They tend to live in very specific areas and can grow to impressive sizes. Crab and Lobster shells are commonly found on the beach. Are these dead animals or actually the discarded outer shells?

Limpets are very common in most all tide pools. They can sometimes "farm" certain areas of a rock and can prevent other animals from growing. They are related to Abalones that once used to be very common in tide pools but have disappeared due to a variety of factors.

Sea Anemones are captivating and fun to interact with. They range from small aggregating species that form huge colonies to the solitary larger species. They form complex relationships with algae and fish that benefit both groups of animals. They can even move around slowly to find a better place to live in needed.