Carkeek

Although this trip to Carkeek park was not the first time I've gone there, I've never been there when the tide was so low! It was really cool to see all the organisms you can't see when the tide is high, like anemones, crabs, kites, and starfish.  My favorite, as cliche as it is, was the starfish. Starfish, or sea stars, are a really important predator in intertidal zones. Although the star fish was my favorite, the most interesting thing I learned was that the tire shaped things you can find all over the beach are actually Moon Snail egg sacs, or sand collars. This trip to Carkeek park really showed me how diverse it actually is. I saw a lot of organisms I have never heard of or seen before, like the sand collars, or eel grass isopods. Or even how many different types of grasses and seaweeds there are.

Purple Sea Star

Sand Collar at bottom left.