Overview
Lower Shore
Copyright © 1998
Nova Scotia Museum
The Lower Shore
(Kelp Zone)
The Lower Shore (or Kelp Zone) is covered by seawater except at low tide. Swaying brown kelp (Laminaria) may be just visible below the tide line. Look for kelp in tidepools here, too. Among the kelp holdfasts lives a whole community of strange creatures, such as brittle stars and sea spiders. Red and green seaweeds add some bright colour to the shore and tidepools. In some places, a carpet of purple-red Irish Moss seaweed provides a habitat for small animals and other seaweeds, like the brittle pink Corallina. Watch for adaptations of shape and behaviour that help plants and animals hang on while pounded by crashing surf. You must choose the lowest of low tides to see this habitat well.
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Did you visit a seashore and not see anything like this? Try again, within an hour or two of low tide. Imagine that you are a water creature, drowning in the dry air and desperately seeking a cool, wet place to hide. "Dial-a-Tide", 426-5494, or check the yearly Canadian Tides and Current Tables or a local newspaper for high and low tide times predicted by Environment Canada and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
P.S. Rocks are creatures' homes. If you turn one over, please turn it back
Overview | Upper Shore | Middle Shore | Lower Shore | Creature Profiles