Rocky Shore Habitats

Rocky Shore Habitats

Annie Russell

School of Marine Science and TechnologySchool of Marine Science and Technology

Aims for today

1. What are the factors that affect the distribution of an organism on the rocky shore?

2. How have the organisms become adapted to the rocky shore?

3. From your observations of the organisms on the rocky shore give specific examples of how the organisms observed have adapted to survive the rocky shore environment.

Marine habitats

Polar oceansPolar

oceans Coral reef

Rocky ShoresRocky Shores Open

oceansOpen

oceans

Deep sea

oceans

Deep sea

oceans

How does all this affect the Rocky shore at cullercoats?

Rocky Shore HabitatRocky Shore Habitat

What are the factors that affect the distribution of

an organism on the rocky shore?

Biotic and Abiotic factorsBiotic and Abiotic factors

The biotic factors are the influences that result from the activities of living organisms in the community eg. competition

Abiotic (physical factors) are the influences of the non-living part of the community e.g.. Climate

Distinguish between Biotic and Abiotic factors.

Abiotic (physical factors) are the influences of the non-living part of the community e.g.. ClimateAbiotic (physical factors) are the influences of the non-living part of the community e.g.. Climate

Abiotic

Abiotic

Desiccation

Aspect

Wave crash

Temperature

Light Gradient

Salinity

Oxygen

The biotic factors are the influences that result from the activities of living organisms in the community eg. competitionThe biotic factors are the influences that result from the activities of living organisms in the community eg. competition

Biotic

Competition

Mates

Food

Space

Light (algae)

Predators

Abiotic factors - Desiccation

Patella vulgata

Cancer pagurus

Actinia equina

Abiotic factors - Temperature

Littorina littorea Semibalanus balanoides

Abiotic factors - Salinity changes

Asterias rubens Carcinus maenas

Ulva that was Enteromorpha

Abiotic factors - Exposure

Abiotic factors

4: Wave Crash

Abiotic factors - Light

Abiotic factors

4: Wave Crash- Oxygen

– cold water holds more oxygen than warm water– most intertidal organisms must respire underwater

- Slope- Aspect

Abiotic factors -

AB

c

Abiotic factors

4: Wave Crash– Space– Mates– Food – Light– Empty shells

(hermit crabs)

Biotic factors - Competition

Abiotic factors

4: Wave Crash- from marine (offshore and intertidal) predators

- from terrestrial predators

Biotic factors - Predation

How does all this affect the Rocky shore at cullercoats?

5

1

Avoid rockpools!

Y

X

1.00 m – X = Y

The Shore Thing

• Monitoring abundance of rocky shore species around the UK as potential indicators of climate change.

• Species search: – Abundant – Frequent – Rare – Not found

Common green algae

Sea lettuce

Gutweed

Cladophora

Common brown algae

Laminaria digitata

Kelp

Laminaria hyperborea

Laminaria saccharina

Common brown algae

Bladder wrack

Saw wrack

Spiral wrack

Common red algae

Irish Moss• Dulse

Coral weed

Common Animals