About theoutershores

Steve Morey (he/him) here. I started theoutershores because my thoughts about nature on the exposed beaches of central and northern Oregon needed curating. I call it theoutershores because that describes the surf-swept shores of my home beaches and it describes exposed shores anywhere. I hope my words and photos have meaning to people who love beaches…

A Variety of Intertidal Life

In the pages that follow, you’ll find my photographic take on lots of lots of common intertidal species and their habitats. My home beaches are in northern Oregon. If an image comes from elsewhere, I note it in the caption. There are a lot of gaps in my coverage. I only post what I find…

Wrack Line

Wrack Line through the Years– There are always interesting things washing up on the shore. Sea wrack is made up of dead sea life and plants and animals that have drifted in from sister ecosystems, the estuaries and the maritime forest. The other thing you’ll find in sea wrack are items of human origin, fishing…

Tidepool Treat: The Schizymenia – Katharina Connection

By: minustide October 25, 2020

Photo Challengechitons, intertidal, Lens-Artists, nature photography, oregon coast, seaweed, tidepools18 Comments

The low tides of late summer brought me a tidepool treat. I’d read about a connection between a red seaweed called slimy leaf, Schizymenia pacifica, and the Katy chiton, Katharina tunicata, but hadn’t seen it myself. I had seen Katy chitons decked out with various seaweed and animal hitchhikers, but I did not recall slimy leaf among them. By…

Communication or No?

By: minustide October 13, 2020

Communication, Photo Challengeintertidal, Lens-Artists, nature photography, oregon coast, sea anemones, tidepools12 Comments

A strip of open space between adjacent colonies of pink-tipped green anemones, Anthopleura elegantissima. Communication or no? Communication

Bringing You Along

By: minustide October 7, 2020

Beach Walk, Photo Challengebeaches, intertidal, Lens-Artists, nature photography, oregon coast, tidepools17 Comments

Just memories now, of a beach walk, August 19, 2020 6:17 am: Accepting an intertidal invitation. 7:02 am: Touching base with an old friend, a study in zonation. 7:58 am: A pause to take in morning sunlight on exposed surfgrass. 8:19 am: A fortunate turn of my gaze, just in time to discover sunbeams penetrating…

Off to the Shore for a Symmetry Beach Party

By: minustide September 30, 2020

Photo Challenge, Symmetrybeaches, body plans, intertidal, Lens-Artists, nature photography, oregon coast, Symmetry, tidepools27 Comments

Welcome to my small celebration of symmetry. This beach party’s a renewal of kinship with animals we share symmetry with and a reminder that symmetry varies in ways worth appreciating. An in-depth survey of symmetry would expose developmental and evolutionary mysteries better left to zoology and comparative anatomy courses. Instead, let’s head to the shore,…

Accentuating a Flatfish and a Limpet with Negative Space

By: minustide September 13, 2020

Photo Challengebeaches, intertidal, Lens-Artists, nature photography, oregon coast, tidepools19 Comments

This little flatfish, one of those pesky pleuronectids, the righteye flounders, was just a babe, washed up as so much sea wrack when I noticed its perky eyeballs protruding from the smooth, featureless surface of a sea of swash zone sand. The experts I consulted believe it’s a juvenile starry flounder, or maybe a curlfin…

The Crowded Rocky Intertidal Bursting with Life

By: minustide September 1, 2020

Low Tideintertidal, Lens-Artists, oregon coast, tidepools7 Comments

Surf swept rocky northeastern Pacific shores host marvelous biological diversity and abundance. A good place to witness the profusion is up close, on the dead level with a barnacle. Surrounded by neighbors, a giant barnacle, Balanus nubilus, entertains tenants of its own. Stepping back, viewing the world from the lowermost horizon of the mussel bed…

Macro Monday: Pollicipes polymerus

By: minustide August 24, 2020

barnaclesIntertidal invertebrates, macro photography, oregon coast, pacific northwest, tidepools2 Comments

When it comes to intertidal close ups Pollicipes are agreeable subjects. They won’t much change their demeanor if, to get things right, you need to nestle in among them. Gooseneck barnacles, Pollicipes polymerus, stick to surf-swept shores. They stand out in the the mussels beds.

Update From theoutershores

By: minustide August 17, 2020

Updatesbeaches, intertidal, Lens-Artists, oregon coast, PNW, tidepools15 Comments

We all know someone or have heard of countless humans facing ruin or heartbreak from Covid-19. Before I share what I’ve been up I want to acknowledge Covid-related suffering everywhere and express my gratitude that I have a job that keeps me safe, and that no one close to me has contracted the disease. My…

Missed Opportunities with Littorina sitkana and Gloiopeltis furcata

By: minustide June 28, 2020June 28, 2020

Photo ChallengeGaliano Island, intertidal, Intertidal invertebrates, periwinkles, PNW, Salish Sea, seaweed, tidepools7 Comments

I’ve surprised myself twice recently by unexpectedly noticing species I’ve never seen in the wild in my photographs featuring other species. The periwinkle below, the little striped snail, escaped my attention while I engaged in a four-photograph sequence featuring the limpets. The little snail is Littorina sitkana, the Sitka periwinkle. Who knew a snail could…

Quiet Moments From the High Intertidal

By: minustide June 21, 2020June 21, 2020

molluscs, Photo Challengeintertidal, Intertidal invertebrates, limpets, periwinkles, PNW, Salish Sea, tidepools17 Comments

Among invertebrate inhabitants of the high intertidal, activity, for some, grinds to a halt when things dry out. Clamped down against a vertical wall with shells for protection, waiting out low tide won’t challenge these limpets and barnacles. It doesn’t hurt that they’ve settled on the shady side. A periwinkle made it just so far…

My thoughts and experiences on the exposed outer coast. Lots of photos and a few words about intertidal nature. I’m always thinking about sandy beach connections to its sister ecosystems, the rocky intertidal, estuaries, and coastal forests. You can see photos of things I’ve found washed ashore on my Wrack Line pages. If you are looking for new takes on common intertidal algae, plants, and animals, I’m always updating my Variety of Life pages. I love the full-page layout on all theoutershores’ pages.