“They can take as much sea glass as they can find,” she said. Though it can be pretty, it’s actually litter from broken glass that has been smoothed by the sand and waves and not part of the natural habitat, she said. One thing people can take from the MPA areas is sea glass. “You’ll have a dead animal on your hands,” Chartier-Grable said. Not only is it illegal, many creatures won’t last more than 24 hours away from their ecosystem, even in salt water tanks. And never try to take the creatures home, not even if you have an aquarium set up. “Just to touch for the stake of touching,” Chartier-Grable said, “we do not recommend that.”Īvoid move creatures from one spot to another. If you pick a sea hare up, it removes their coating and makes them more vulnerable. Their slimy coating is protection against predators. The same goes for sea hares, a type of sea slug named for its little bunny-like antennas called rhinophores. “If people are touching them constantly, they are unable to catch their food.” “They are losing their ability to sting their prey and eat,” Chartier-Grable said. Though humans can’t feel the sting, that stinging cell takes 24 hours to regenerate. Some think it’s fun to poke the sea anemones and watch them move, but that makes them think they are being attacked and they release their sting response meant to paralyze prey. They create a camouflage by covering their outer layer in broken shells and rocks, their own version of sunscreen to help from drying out in the sun when exposed. Sea anemones are one of the more common sights, though actually seeing one isn’t always easy. If you’re lucky you may spot an octopus, a nocturnal creature said to be as smart as a 3-year-old child, or Chartier-Grable said she recently saw an abalone, which were harvested to near extinction until it was made illegal to remove them from the ocean.Īnother special sight are sea stars, becoming a more prevalent sight off the coast after millions were wiped out in recent years by a wasting syndrome. “It’s a super critical habitat for the ecosystem and biodiversity of that area,” Chartier-Grable said. Bird species thrive on the critters found in the pools. Then, when the fish are big enough, they venture out to the open ocean.īut that doesn’t mean they are safe from predators. The opaleye fish, for example, lives its first two years of life in the tide pools, which can provide shelter from larger prey looking for a snack. A lot of species start in the tide pools,” Chartier-Grable said. “The tide pools and the whole area act as a nursery for the ocean.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |