Download Tide Pools

Tide Pools;
An Ever Changing Ecosystem
GRADES: 3-5; Multiage
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: This program will teach students about the
importance of tide pools and the different adaptations that animals need to
survive there. Rocky shores and tide pools are the division between land and sea
that provide protection from storms, provide a place for animals to live and act as
a measure for overall ecosystem health.
*Before your class visits the Oklahoma Aquarium*
This guide contains information and activities for you to use both before and after
your visit to the Oklahoma Aquarium. You may want to read stories about tide
pools and their inhabitants to the students, present information in class, or utilize
some of the activities from this booklet.
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Table of Contents
Tide pools abstract
Educator Information
Vocabulary
Internet resources and books
PASS/OK Science standards
Accompanying Activities
Gak Animal
Hold On Tight
Invertebrate Name Decoder
Raisin Populations
Tidepool in a Bucket
Rocky Shore (Label the Plants and Animals)
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Tide Pools; An Ever Changing Ecosystem: ABSTRACT
Tide pools are located around the world where the land meets the sea, especially
where there are rocky shores. The tide pools form in the rocks as the tides come in
and out. They are valuable to humans because they are a place where people can
fish. They offer the opportunity to study population dynamics, are an indicator of
overall ecosystem health, hold animals that we enjoy eating and provide a barrier
between the sea and the shore. Animals that are found in tide pools have special
adaptations that allow them to withstand the harsh, changing conditions. Some of
the factors that may limit where organisms can live are; changes in temperature,
salinity, oxygen, wave action and predation. Some of the adaptations that help
animals survive this harsh environment are: shells to hold in water and provide
protection, mucus secretions that act as glue, vascular systems that hold in water,
camouflage, the ability to clone themselves, stinging cells and the ability to retract
appendages. The rocky shores are divided into different zones. These zones are
defined by the amount of time they are exposed to the air. The zones are the
splash zone, the mid zone, high zone and low zone. The splash zone is exposed to
air about 70% of the time while the low zone is covered in water the majority of
the time. Gravity that is exerted by the sun and the moon are responsible for
causing tides along with the earth’s rotation. Gravity pulls water away from Earth
while inertia tries to keep the water on Earth. This is high tide. The sides of the
earth that are not in line with the moon will experience low tides. All shores will
experience at least one low and high tide each day. Some of the organisms that
can be found in tide pools include but are not limited to marine snails, sea
anemones, crabs, algae of various sizes, small fish, barnacles, abalone, octopus and
jellyfish. This important ecosystem is under threat because of human carelessness.
People are polluting the oceans with trash and chemicals, releasing large quantities
of carbon into the atmosphere that are causing climate changes, trampling
animals, over harvesting organisms and introducing invasive species. People do
not have to be the problem; they can be the solution by doing things like
recycling, using less plastic, participating in beach clean-ups, not disturbing
organisms, choosing sustainable seafood and supporting laws that protect the
environment.
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Tide Pools; An Ever Changing Ecosystem:
EDUCATOR INFORMATION
*Tide pools are formed by tides coming in and out.
*High tide brings fresh water, oxygen and food to tide pool residents.
*Some animals will live most of their lives in tide pools such as the tide pool
sculpin.
*Seaweed can provide food and shelter to animals, especially during low tide.
*Seaweed is a type of algae. There are three different types of algae: red, brown
and green. Algae reproduce using spores, they don’t have roots, leaves or flowers
and photosynthesize.
*Organisms in the tide pools need special adaptations to deal with changes in
salinity, water level, oxygen and temperature.
* Phylum Cnidaria include animals like jellyfish and anemones. All cnidarians have
nematocysts or stinging cells.
* Sea anemones are frequently found in tide pools. They are interesting because
they can reproduce with gametes or they can clone themselves by budding. They
have tentacles that surround their oral disk and stinging cells.
*Phylum Mollusca is very diverse. It contains animals such as abalone, mussels,
octopus, chitons and limpets. There are 85,000 different mollusks. Most mollusks
will have a shell that they make with their mantle. You can find many mollusks in
the aquarium, especially in the Amazing Invertebrates Gallery.
* Sea urchins have spines around their shell which is called a test. Some urchins
have venomous spines.
*Tide pool sculpins heavily rely on tide pools. They will live most of their lives in
tide pools but will release their eggs into the water at high tide.
* Tide pool inhabitants that may be observed in the aquarium are; red abalone,
sea anemones, sea stars, brittle stars, giant key hole limpet, sea urchins, hermit
crabs.
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Vocabulary:
Adaptation- An alteration or adjustment in structure or habits, often hereditary,
by which a species or individual improves its condition in relationship to
environment
Algae- Any of various chiefly aquatic, eukaryotic, photosynthetic organisms,
ranging in size from single-celled forms to the giant kelp. (From Rocky Shore and
Tide Pools Encyclopedia)
Biodiversity- Species richness; includes plants and animals
Climate change- Refers to any significant change in the measures of climate
lasting for an extended period of time. In other words, climate change includes
major changes in temperature, precipitation, or wind patterns, among other
effects, that occur over several decades or longer (EPA)
Current- Water that is moving in the same direction
Gravity – The force of attraction which pulls things toward each other
Habitat- The area or environment where an organism or ecological community
normally lives or occurs
High zone- The area of the intertdial zone that is exposed to air 70% of the time
Intertidal zone- The coast that is underwater during high tide and exposed to air
during low tide
Invasive species- A species that is not native to the environment that it is
currently occupying and directly competing with native species for resources
Low zone- This area is covered by water most of the time except during very low
tide and is very biodiverse
Mid zone- This area is in the middle of the intertidal zone. It tends to be very
biodiverse and is covered by water half of the time
Radula- A bony tongue like structure common in most mollusks
Tide – The regular rise and fall of the ocean that is caused by gravitational pull
and orbit of the moon and sun
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Seaweed- A type of marine algae that includes red, brown and green algae that is
held to the bottom of the ocean using a holdfast
Splash zone – The area of the intertidal zone that is usually exposed to air and
gets splashed by waves
Resources:
Internet Resources:
http://limpetsmonitoring.org/
http://www.scientistinresidence.ca/pdf/lifescience/Aquatic%20Ecosystems/SRP_Aquatic%20Ecosystems_Lesson%202
%20WF.pdf
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/27/sports/in-hunt-for-red-abalonedivers-face-risks-and-poachers-face-the-law.html?_r=0
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/news/archive/2012/title,88759,en.php
http://www.nps.gov/pore/naturescience/intertidal.htm
http://www.futurity.org/mussels-a-new-model-for-medical-glue/
http://oregontidepools.org/tidalzones
BOOKS and REFERENCES:
Monterey Bay Aquarium. (1996). Sea Searcher’s Handbook. Roberts
Rinehart Publishers
Niesen, Thomas, M. (1997). Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest. Gulf
Publishing Company
Leon, Vicki (2006). The Secrets of the Tidepools: the Bright World of the
Rocky Shoreline. London Town Press
Coulombe, Deborah A. (1984). The Seaside Naturalist: a Guide to Nature
Study at the Seashore. Prentice- Hall, Inc.
Coppenger, Amy, McCord, John, Duffy, Shelley, Bunker, Norm,
Fitzgerald, Monroe, Kim, … Williams, Danielle (2002). Passport to the
Pacific: A Guide to Habitats, Inhabitants, and Activities. Aquarium of the
Pacific
Denny, Mark W., Gaines, Steven D. (2007). Encyclopedia of Tidepools &
Rocky Shore University of California Press
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PASS STANDARDS MET:
All education programs and their accompanying materials at the Oklahoma
Aquarium will meet several Oklahoma PASS objectives in various disciplines. The
following list is not all inclusive.
SCIENCE
Science Process and Inquiry
 (Grade 3)
Process Standard 1- Observe and Measure
 (Grade 3)
Process Standard 2- Classify
 (Grade 3)
Process Standard 3 - Experiment and Inquiry
 (Grade 4)
Process Standard 1- Observe and Measure
 (Grade 4)
Process Standard 2- Classify
 (Grade 4)
Process Standard 3- Experiment
 (Grade 4)
Process Standard 5- Inquiry
 (Grade 5)
Process Standard 1-Observe and Measure
 (Grade 5)
Process Standard 2- Classify
 (Grade 5)
Process Standard 3- Experiment
Physical Science
 (Grade 4)
Life Science
 (Grade 3)
 (Grade 4)
 (Grade 5)
Earth/Space Science
 (Grade 3)
Process Standard 1- Position and Motion of Objects
Process Standard 2- Characteristics and Basic Needs of
Organisms and Environments
Process Standard 3- Characteristics of Organisms
Process Standard 2- Organisms and Environment
Process Standard 3- Properties of Earth Materials
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OKLAHOMA ACADEMIC STANDARDS FOR SCIENCE MET:
3-5
3-LS3-2
3-LS4-2
3-LS4-3
3-LS4-4
4-LS1-1
4-LS1-2
5-PS2-1
5-LS2-1
5-LS2-2
5-ESS2-1
5-ESS3-1
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