Beach

I love the beach because there are so many cool, interesting, and often really weird organisms living in it.

1. Barnacles were growing on almost every rock. These organisms are small and really hard, which serves as great defense against animals and other threats.
2. There were crabs everywhere. The ones I found were small and grey, blending in perfectly with the sand and rocks. This camouflage is a great defense agains predators. They also have really sharp pincers which are a great deterrent to any birds or other animals trying to eat them.
3. Mussels have a hard shell, which protects them from bird beaks, and are extremely strong. This strength allows them to latch onto rocks, preventing them from being picked up by predators or washed away by waves.
4. There was a lot of algae growing on rocks. One adaptation the algae I found has is that it grows on rocks at the surface of the water, exposing it to sunlight necessary for photosynthesis.
5. There were a lot of Gulls flying around. Sea Gulls have white underbellies, which I imagine allows them to blend in with the bright sky and therefore be less noticeable to fish swimming below them.
6. The last thing is a really weird organism that I have yet to identify... It was growing inside a rock and was kind of slimy. It didn't react visibly when I poked it with a stick and I have no idea what it is, but I thought it was cool.

Posted on February 18, 2013 01:33 AM by maiawachtel