Rock Pooling: Rockpooling destination: Revisit Penberth April, 2015

The shore comprises a narrow cove with boulders lining either side of a slipway. There is a river that forms a small waterfall on the upper shore before flowing beneath the boulders to the sea.

The cove experiences high wave exposure and is characterized by an extended splash zone with lichens and periwinkles. Barnacles characterise the mid and lower shore, with an increased abundance of barnacles, limpets and robust seaweeds towards the low water mark. There are relatively small gravel filled rockpools beneath the boulders and coralline rockpools at the cliff edges.

The tide was lower than during previous visits allowing a greater variety of lower shore red seaweeds to be photographed. However, time prevented me from looking at the fresh water influenced habitats of the upper shore which, I have photographed previously.
See blog post: http://thesaltyscavenger.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/rock-pooling-destination-penberth.html

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

The rocky shore is comprised of boulders and a slip way. A variety of Yellow and grey lichens characterise the supralittoral. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Lic (Lichens on supralittoral and littoral fringe rock) EUNIS:B3.111

Blackshields

Plants also occur between the boulders in the supralittoral.

Black tar lichen (Verrucaria maura) markes the transitions from the supralittoral to the littoral fringe habitats. Habitat classification:

LR.FLR.Lic.Ver (Verrucaria Maura on littoral fringe rock) EUNIS: B3.113

Sparse barnacles occur within the V.maura biotope.

Limpets (Patella vulgata), Periwinkles (Littorina spp.) and sparse barnacles.

Littorina compressa nigrolineata

Barnacles and periwinkle

Small periwinkles (Melarhaphe neritoides)

Small red mites scurry across the rocks.

An ant on the upper shore. There are a variety of terrestrial insects that you can come across on the shore, especially during the summer months. However, this component of the intertidal ecology is often over looked.

An ant on the top of a coralline rock pool.

Snakelocks anemone (Anemonia viridis) in a coralline rockpool. The rockpools of the shore are confined to the bedrock of the cliff edges, and mainly comprise narrow stretches of water. Habitat classification: LR.FLR.Rkp.Cor (Coralline crust-dominated shallow eulittoral rockpools) EUNIS A1.411

Snakelocks anemone (Anemonia viridis)

China limpets (Patella ulyssiponensis) within a coralline rockpool.

Thick topshell (Osilinus lineatus)

The lichen, Lichina pygmaea occurs in patches among the barnacles communities of the upper shore. Habitat classification: LR.HLR. MusB (Mussel and/or barnacle communities), EUNIS: A1.11.

The boulders of the mid shore support a community of barnacles, limpets, dog whelks and where conditions allow seaweeds. Habitat classification: LR.HLR. MusB (Mussel and/or barnacle communities), EUNIS: A1.11.

Between the boulders beadlet anemones (Actina equina) and small individual seaweeds can also be found.

Spiral wrack (Fucus spiralis)

Several of the boulders have patches of a dark green lichen/algae?

Dog whelks (Nucella lapillus)

On the lower shore the density of barnacles increases and Patella depressa is found.

Barnacles on the lower shore.

Volcano barnacles (Balanus perforatus) beneath a boulder overhang if the lower shore.

Grey topshell (Gibbul cineraria) on the lower shore.

A low turf of coralline algae.

As the lower shore is reached there is a proliferation of wracks and red seaweeds. Habitat classification: LR.HLR.FR.Him (Himanthalia elongata and red seaweeds on exposed to moderately exposed lower eulittoral rock).