Pacific Intertidal Life: A Guide to Organisms of Rocky Reefs and Tide Pools of the Pacific Coast

by Ron Russo, Pam Olhausen

Overview

Easily Identify the Living Things You Find in the Intertidal Zone of the Pacific Coast!

Enjoy learning to identify organisms of the rocky reefs and tide pools of the Pacific coast—from Alaska to Baja, California—with this guide from authors Ron Russo and Pam Olhausen. With this handy, easy-to-use book, you'll be able to identify a wide variety of intertidal life in no time. And its small size makes it just right for fitting into your pocket or pack when you go for a walk along the coast.

Features:

• Illustrations with line drawings
• Information to help readers identify various life forms of the intertidal zone along the Pacific coastline
• In-depth discussion about this specific, unique environment and its creatures

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780912550329
Publisher:	Wilderness Press
Publication date:	04/19/2016
Series:	Nature Study Guides
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	3.80(w) x 5.70(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Ron Russo retired as the chief naturalist of the East Bay Regional Park District in 2003 and is the author of several field guides, including Pacific Coast Mammals and Mountain State Mammals. He continues his writing and research, discovering several new species of plant galls each year. He lives in Mt. Shasta, California. Pam Olhausen is also the author of Pacific Coast Mammals. She lives in Sedona, Arizona.

Read an Excerpt

Plate Limpet (Notoacmea scutum) Shell 6 cm long, flat; apex off center; color variable, frequently green. Has irregular white spotting from edge to apex. Mid tide zone, Bering Sea to Pt. Conception. South of Pt. Conception, this species is replaced by the File Limpet.

Kelp Limpet (Notoacmea insessa) Shell 2 cm long, ovalelongate, nearly as high as long, chestnut-brown and smooth. Always on blades of feather boa kelp, low tide zone, Alaska to Mexico.

Dunce Limpet (Acmaea mitra) Shell 3.5 cm long, with high cone shape, entirely white, smooth or covered with pink coralline algae. Low tide zone in pools, Bering Sea to Mexico.

Table of Contents

Species List

• Limpets
• Abalones
• Chitons
• Mussels
• Snails
• Periwinkle
• Dogwinkle
• Octopi
• Sea slugs
• Nudibranchs
• Anemones
• Sea stars
• Sea urchins
• Isopods
• Rock louse
• Pillbug
• Barnacles
• Crabs
• Kelp
• Spider crab
• Hermit crab
• Shrimp
• Fish
• Bristleworms
• Ribbonworms
• Polyclad
• Flatworms
• Marine algae
• Sponge weed
• Sea lettuce
• Moss weed
• Surf grass
• Brown algae
• Red algae
• Sponges
• Hydroids

Editorial Reviews

Tide pool viewing is not for the faint of heart. But with a willingness to get wet, some common-sense safety measures and a spirit of adventure, you will be rewarded with hours of wildlife viewing pleasure. Pick up a field guide--many good guides are available, but avoid the most basic guides that tend to focus on east coast species. Pacific Intertidal Life, by Ron Russo and Pam Olhausen is a great pocket guide for under five dollars. ---Bob Garrison Bob Garrison

Outdoor California