1. WANT AD: The intertidal zone is searching for some new occupants… If you’re looking for a constantly changing environment then moving to a tidepool might be for you!

2. You will have lots of neighbors. Living in this space is very cramped, because competition for space, food and mates, but you will live right on the beach where the ocean meets the rocky shore….

3. To live here you will need to have know how to protect yourself. What would you need to protect yourself from if you lived in a tidepool? Let’s explore some animals that currently live in a tidepool.

4. Seastars, sea urchins and other echinoderms have tube feet that act like suction cups. Why? Seastars have tough skin and sea urchins have pointy spikes. Why?

5. Sea anemones belong to a group of animals called cnidaria A common characteristic is that they have a ring of stinging tentacles to stun prey that swims by. Can you think of any other animals that live in the ocean that have stinging tentacles?

6. How does the spiny lobster protect itself if doesn’t have large claws? Lobsters and other arthropods have an exoskeleton. What’s that?

7. Snails belong to a group of animals called molluscs. Most molluscs have a shell and a muscular foot. Why?

8. Not all molluscs have a shell and a muscular foot… An octopus is a mollusc that has adapted differently. How does the octopus protect itself?

9. The unique characteristics of tidepool animals are a result of adapting to the limiting factors of the tidepool. One limiting factor in a tidepool is available space. Can you think of anything other limiting factors? Why do these animals look so “strange?”

10. Still considering living in a tidepool? Discuss the following: How would you protect yourself from: WAVES PREDATORS SUN