theoutershores

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…

Dodecaceria, Cropped

By: minustide May 10, 2020May 10, 2020

Photo Challenge, Wormsintertidal, Intertidal invertebrates, marine worms, oregon coast, PNW, tidepools11 Comments

This mound is home to a colony of marine worms, Dodecaceria, probably D. fewkesi. Here, the worms have retreated, it being low tide, into their calcareous tubes. Their tubes are embedded in a matrix of cemented sand particles. When the tide returns, they’ll poke their tentacled heads out to feed. A version of the photograph…

Earth Day 2020

By: minustide April 22, 2020

Earth DayEarth Day 2020, intertidal, seagrass, seaweed4 Comments

Sunrise on beds of seagrass and kelp Will future generations marvel at sunrises over these lush beds? You’re part of this

Revisiting a Landmark

By: minustide April 15, 2020April 15, 2020

Comparative Photos, Photo Challengebeaches, intertidal, Lens-Artists, oregon coast, PNW, tidepools11 Comments

Below, is the first photograph I took of what is now one of my favorite northern Oregon landmarks. I say landmark, as far as I know, it’s not a landmark for anyone but me. It isn’t a single rock, it’s a pair. Allies rising up together on the lowest reach. Accounting for tides and surf…

A Simple Pleasure From the Shore

By: minustide April 6, 2020April 6, 2020

Photo Challenge, seaweedintertidal, Lens-Artists, Mazzaella, oregon coast, pacific northwest, tidepools15 Comments

Mazzaella splendens is one of those red seaweeds known for the looks it throws your way. Its iridescence isn’t a given, but when things fall into place, rainbow leaf, as it is sometimes known, lights up the low intertidal. Cut off from the shore, I’m grateful for simple pleasures past. Simplicity Addendum: There couldn’t be…

Time-Lapse Tidepool

By: minustide April 1, 2020

Anemones, Photo Challengeintertidal, Lens-Artists, oregon coast, tidepools12 Comments

Teeming with anemones, giant greens if you want to get specific, it’s a pool with a lot going for it. Its water is clear as crystal, and tucked away, sheltered from winds, there isn’t a ripple. Its strangest characteristic, though, is its see-through surface, free of diabolical reflections and all the better for surveying its…

Reflections From the Shore

By: minustide March 11, 2020March 11, 2020

Photo Challengebeaches, intertidal, Lens-Artists, oregoncoast, tidepools22 Comments

The seascapes below highlight reflections from beach and tidepool surfaces; transient low tide mirrors. Headlands, outcrops, maritime forests, sea stacks, and even the setting sun serve as subjects. Moody scenery, connections, and a sense of wild are the themes they convey. Faint headlands, forested slopes, and dark outcrops mirrored in an expansive residual sheen. Ripples…

Invitation to a Tidepool Treasure Hunt

By: minustide February 25, 2020February 27, 2020

Photo Challengeintertidal, Lens-Artists, oregon coast, tidepools16 Comments

Exposed kelp, brown, in the foreground, and green seagrass beyond, signal low tide, an invitation to treasure hunt. Sea cabbage, Hedophyllum sessile, shines like gold in the morning sunlight. This specimen’s lacy, ridged blades resemble the outer leaves of Savoy cabbage. The cabbage-like look is a clue that the habitat is semi-protected. In surf-pounded settings,…

Examining Leading Lines in Scenes from the Intertidal

By: minustide January 19, 2020

Photo Challengebeaches, intertidal, leading lines, Lens-Artists, oregon coast, tidepools15 Comments

I’m going to argue there are leading lines here. The one I didn’t expect runs between the eyes of the purple shore crab, Hemigrapsus nudus. It plays well against the rock’s curved outline. To my eye, the image has a pleasing flow from lower right to upper left. The lines created by surfgrass sweep across…

Take a Walk on the Wrackline: A Drifted 2019

By: minustide January 1, 2020

Wrack Line, Year End Recapbeaches, oregon coast, tideline, Wrackline7 Comments

2019 wrackline was full of drifted treasures. Some had human origins, others arrived from rocky intertidal, subtidal, pelagic, estuarine, and terrestrial sources. Unravelling the stories of marine drifters, at least trying to, is irresistible. Most of their stories will remain mysteries. That’s what keeps beachcombing compelling. Arranged chronologically below, starting with memories from last winter…