Perspective is everything, so I’m taking this opportunity to show off two common Pacific seaweeds two ways. Both seaweeds favor sand-scoured settings on the open coast. A minus tide is not required to find them, but it helps, especially if you want to enjoy their charms at eye level. As suggested by the habitat description,…
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Shades and shadows are both on display here, where the foreground is shaded, and shadows play in the background as morning sunlight rises above the tops of coastal conifers far behind me. It’s not unheard of to discover a kelp crab backlit and dangling from a drapery of sea cabbage, but it’s always a pleasure…
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Dropping down on a new reach of shore is disorienting enough that it takes a while to shake it off. It’s not unusual to arrive with questions about how and where to proceed. (Most of these, with a bit of planning, can be answered in advance). Once I’m on a new shore, all preparation seems…
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There is enough variety among the small, branched, and somewhat similar tufted red seaweeds to keep them forever interesting. The reds I’m talking about are delicate and limp when exposed by low tide, which adds difficulty in observing the details of undisturbed tufts. On August 19, 2020, I inched up to Microcladia borealis (I’m pretty…
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January 25 January 26 March 8 March 9 July 6 July 7 July 13 August 19 August 20 October 17 Favorite Images of 2020
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Anthopleura xanthogrammica, giant green Anthopleura artemisia, moonglow Anthopleura elegantissima, pink-tipped green To see more images of these and a couple non-Anthopleura anemones, head over to my sea anemones page. An Alphabet Challenge–Subjects That Begin with the Letter A
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It’s the setting, height, and shape that make the rock below an intertidal superstar. This surf zone heavy-hitter sits in an intertidal sweet spot where accessibility and rarely exposed lower reaches find the optimal balance. It’s a leviathan tall enough to support all the intertidal zones, and its steep broad faces impart visibility to the…
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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…
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A strip of open space between adjacent colonies of pink-tipped green anemones, Anthopleura elegantissima. Communication or no? Communication
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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…
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Enjoying Life In New Ways
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ich zeige euch meine stadt wie ich sie sehe
my photography and other observations
