Marine Intertidal Rocky Shore ComCommunitymunity State Rank: S4 - Secure the full force of waves. Substrate size is the most obvious difference. Habitat for Associated Fauna: This was probably the habitat of the extinct sea mink. Wintering sea birds such as Harlequin Duck and Great Cormorants feed among submerged rocks close to shore. Wintering Purple Sandpipers forage among exposed rocks in low tide where marine Marshfield. There are scattered fish forage during high tide. Tidal pools occurrences along Buzzards Bay and the provide habitat for invertebrates including Elizabeth Islands. Cape Ann tidal pools in the surf. Photo: Bill Byrne, MassWildlife. blue mussels (a competitive dominant for space), barnacles, snails, and sea stars. Description: Marine Intertidal Rocky Characteristic Species: Intertidal Seaweeds provide cover and food for Shore Communities occur on ocean communities consist of non-vascular crustaceans and mollusks that in turn shores between the high tide splash zone plants and invertebrates. Marine brown affect the plant cover. In the absence of and the subtidal limits of light penetration. algae (seaweed), especially bladder wrack physical removal, competition for space The habitat has alternating submersion and rockweed, dominate. Sea-lettuce, a determines the types of species present. and exposure with accompanying green alga, is common throughout. Irish desiccation and thermal stress. Winter moss, a red algae is common in tide pools. Examples with Public Access: storms directly remove organisms. Halibut Point SP, Rockport; East Point/ Lodge Park, Nahant. The Marine Microhabitat features include tide pools of Differentiating from Other varying depth and sizes, rocks ranging Communities: Marine Intertidal Intertidal Rocky Shore Community occurs from huge boulders and bedrock to Rocky Shores and Marine Intertidal where bedrock is at the surface, Rocky coastline with gulls resting on intertidal particularly from Cape Ann south to cobbles, rock faces varying in degree of Gravel/Sand Beaches are both inundated rocks. Photo: Carolyn Mostello, NHESP. exposure to wave energy, and crevasses by twice daily salt water tides and receive and surge channels within and between rocks. Marine Intertidal Rocky Shores are dominated by invertebrates and non- vascular plants, in a high-stress environment alternately covered by tides and exposed to desiccation and thermal stress; Tern flying over rockweed on Rocky Shore. Photo: T. Richardson, New England Boating. Halibut Point surf and Rocky Shore. Photo: Bill Byrne, MassWildlife. From: Classification of Natural Communities of Massachusetts htthttp ://www;mass;gov/nhesp/p://www;mass;gov/nhesp/ Updated: 2016 Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Division of FisheFisheriesries & Wildlife, 1 Rabbit Hill Rd;, Westborough, M! 01581 (508) 389-6360 .