Rocky Shore Name Trail – Field Studies Council fold out guide

Our rocky shores provide a wonderful opportunity to investigate seashore animals and plants in their natural habitat.

This 8-panel laminated fold-out chart guide will help you to identify some of the ones that you are most likely to see. It also describes some of the major environmental factors that influence them. It is suitable for children’s visits to rocky shores and rockpool investigations

The FSC Rocky shore name trail features the most common limpets, mussels, periwinkles, topshells, starfish, crabs, shore fishes and other animals you are likely to see, as well as seaweeds, lichens and encrusting sponges. The simple flow chart on this guide shows representatives of the main groups found in ponds and streams. Text on the reverse side describes what to look for in each group.

Rockpools and rocky shores are a great place to find seashore animals and plants in their natural habitat. The dominant plant-like organisms of rocky shores, the seaweeds, are all algae. Unlike plants, seaweeds do not have true roots, stems or leaves. Instead the holdfast, stipe and frond perform the function of these tissues. Like most plants, seaweeds use the sun’s energy to make sugars through photosynthesis. They possess the green pigment chlorophyll, and some also possess extra accessory pigments of different colours. Seaweeds are divided into three groups: brown, red and green.

Almost every major group of animals has a representative on the rocky shore. Sponges are simple animals that filter food particles from seawater. Sea anemones have a soft body and stinging tentacles. Molluscs are soft-bodied animals, but many have shells. They include bivalves like mussels, and rocky shore snails like limpets and topshells. Crustaceans are very common, and include lobsters, crabs and barnacles. Other exciting finds in rockpools include starfish, sea urchins, brittlestars and sea squirts.

The Rocky shore name trail is also available in a fully waterproof version