Read on, then come along to one of our three Rockpool Rambles these school holidays!

What lies (not quite) beneath

When you think of your local wildlife, you may think of birds, possums, and maybe even the Chowder Bay Sea Horses. Mosman does have some very special locals, but did you know that your local rocky shores are home to more plants and animals than a tropical rainforest? It’s true - rocky shores contain more biodiversity than most ecosystems on earth! These are very clever creatures too, for although it looks pretty, their home is a tough place to live. 

Lets think about it… Though we know it’s almost always warm and sunny in Sydney, there are a few rainy days every now and then. On those rainy days, exposed rockpools can be totally flushed out by cool fresh water. I guess a cool shower is refreshing, isn’t it? One has to wonder if rockpool creatures would agree. 

And then there’s the wave action! Despite having evolved over millions of years on the North Shore, it turns out rockpool creatures aren’t great surfers. Instead, they batton down the hatches and tough it out. Imagine the strength it would take to stay put when there are tonnes of water crashing down on you, set after set. 

But after the rain comes the sun. On a hot day, when we’re all out sunbaking, so are rockpools. The only problem is, they don’t have a choice, or a hat. During the day, the water slowly heats up, sometimes to over 40 degrees. With the hot sun working its magic, a great deal of the water in the rockpools is evapourated into the atmosphere. So as well as being a hot bath, it’s also a very salty bath, as the salts are not evapourated with the water. 

In the face of it all, rockpool creatures are remarkably attractive. There are flowing waratah anemones, pink and purple sea stars, brightly colourful bubble shells, and elephant snails (though the beauty of these is in the eye of the beholder). The coraline algae even paint the rockpool walls pink!

If you have a newfound respect for rockpool creatures, or would like to don a piece of neptunes necklace, here’s the perfect opportunity. Grey Nurse Guardians Marine Education is running three marine biologist guided Rockpool Rambles tours during the school holidays. For more information, phone 0401 043 634 or visit www.greynurseguardians.com.au.