Rocky and Sandy Shores

Anne Gillis & Charity Sonier

What are Rocky Shores...?

A rocky shore consists of rocky ledges with pools of salty water, boulders, pebbles and

other non-living things such as air and sunlight. Living in this habitat is a community of hardy

plants and animals; each species is specially adapted for coping with the harsh environment

around it.

Rocky Vs. Sandy

Along the rocky coasts, organisms can attach themselves to the rock; along a sandy

shoreline, there is no way for the organisms to attach themselves to the sand.

Also Sandy shores tend to have very high and very low dunes.

Rocky and Sandy Shore Organisms

• Sea Grass • Hermit Crabs

• 11 Armed Sea Star

• Barnacles • Limpet• Mussels

• Hermit Crabs• They are specially curved and soft in shape and

must take refuge in empty shells for protection • As the crab grows he is forced to move from shell

to shell until he is fully grown.• Barnacles• Barnacles are encrusters, attaching

themselves permanently to a hard surfaces

• suspension feeders; they dwell continually in their shell.

• Limpets– Numerous different kinds of saltwater and

freshwater snails that have a simple shell.• Mussels– Related to the clam family – Lives in either saltwater of freshwater

environments.

Rocky ShoresBarnacles• Splash tide and high

tidesCockabully• MidtideMussels• Clam, phylum MolluscaSponges• Tidal fringe

Sandhoppers• High tide sandy

shoresCockies• Low tide sandy

shores

Sandy Shores

THREATS TO ROCKY SHORES!Rocky shores and the life associated with them

are harmed by pollution, much of which is brought to the coast by rivers.

Sewage in river water can carry cholera which is then taken up by shellfish and, when this is

eaten by people, the latter can become infected.

Many rocky shores are subject to indiscriminate collecting of bait, shells and rock pool life.