Rockpooling destination: North Shetland, September 2014

The shore comprised of pebbles, cobbles and boulders slopes gently to the low water mark and is positioned within a sheltered inlet on the Northern extend of Shetland main land.

The upper most shore shore is characterised by lichens and succulent plants with a strandline of washed up seaweed and debris. Channel wrack forms a band in the upper shore before a blanket of fucoids come to cover the mid and lower shore.

Habitat classification:

Substrate	LR (Littoral rock)
Habitat	LLR (Low energy littoral rock)			FLR (Features of littoral rock)
Biotope complex	LR.LLR.F (Fucoids on sheltered marine shores)			LR.FLR.Lic (Lichens on supralittoral rock)
Biotope	LR.LLR.F.Asc (Ascophyllum nodosum on sheltered mid eulittoral rock).	LR.LLR.F.Pel (Pelvetia canaliculata on sheletered littoral fringe rock)	(Fucus spiralis on moderately exposed to very sheltered upper eulittoral rock)	LR.FLR.Lic.YG (Yellow and grey lichens on supralittoral rock)	LR.FLR.Lic.Ver (Verrucaria maura on littoral fringe rock)

Below are images of organisms you may encounter whilst rock pooling in these habitats:

    The shore comprises relatively stable pebbles, cobbles and boulders within a sheltered inlet .Habitat classification: LR.LLR (Low energy littoral rock).

  In the splash zone ‘supralittoral’ yellow and grey lichens occur amongst the black lichen, Verrucaria maura. A red succulent plant also occurs amongst the crevices. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Lic.YG (Yellow and grey lichens on supralittoral rock).

    Channel wrack (Pelvetia canaliculata) occurs as a band amongst Verrucaria maura in the upper shore. Habitat classification: LR.LLR.F.Pel (Pelvetia canaliculata on sheltered littoral fringe rock)

 New growth of P. canaliculata.

Spiral wrack (Fucus spiralis) with the occasional P. canaliculata occur below the main band of P. canaliculata of the upper shore. Habitat classification: LR.LLR.F.Fspi (Fucus spiralis on moderately exposed to very sheltered upper eulittoral rock) 

A barnacle

    New growth of F. spiralis

F. spiralis, Bladder wrack (Fucus vesiculosus) and Egg wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum).

  Egg wrack (A. nodosum) dominates the mid shore. Habitat classification: LR.LLR.F.Asc (Ascophyllum nodosum on sheltered mid eulittoral rock).

    Beneath the A. nodosum are limpets (Patella vulgata) and barnacles.

   Limpets, dog whelks (Nucella lapillus), edible periwinkles (Littorina littorea) and spirorbid polychaetes occur on boulders beneath the fucoid under storey.

   A limpet covered in spirorbid polychaetes.

  Edible periwinkles (Littorina littorea)

A flat periwinkle (Littorina sp.)

Ulva sp grows on the less stable mixed substrata.

  The surrounding edges of the inlet are comprised of a higher component of cobbles and boulders. Habitat classification: LR.LLR (Low energy littoral rock).