Cabrillo Tide Pools Field Trip

Tide Pools are an important ecosystem in marine biology. You can find many organisms thriving in this harsh and turmoil environment.

Visiting a tide pool is a right of passage for a marine biology student. You can find most of the phyla that we study in a tide pool.

There are a few good tide pools in Southern California. Since I am located in Burbank, I find that the Cabrillo Beach Tide Pools in San Pedro are easy to get to.

When visiting tide pools it is important to visit during low tide.

Tide pools are submerged underwater during high tide and then exposed during low tide. But keep in mind that there are different types of low tides. The best low tides are during a full moon or new moon. These tides are known as a spring tide.

Use this chart to find the best time to visit the Cabrillo Tide Pools

Tide Forecasts

I find that the best time to visit the Cabrillo Tide Pools is when the tide is below 1.5 feet. If you just randomly visit the tide pools you might find yourself there at a high tide and see nothing. The rocks will be completely underwater.

Where to park:

You want to park at the Cabrillo Aquarium parking

3720 Stephen M. White Drive

San Pedro, CA 90731

Assignment:

You will visit the tide pools. Create a page in your DIY Textbook titled "Cabrillo Tide Pools"

Make sure to take a camera or your cell phone.

Pictures needed:

-You need to take a picture of yourself standing at the tide pools

-You need a picture of the tide pools. Print this picture or draw a picture of the tide pools and put it in your DIY Textbook. Then do a little research on tide pools and write some notes describing tide pools. Include anything interesting that you might learn about tide pools.

-Then you need to take a picture of at least 1 type of algae, and 4 different animals. Extra points for more.

-A fun way to get the pictures and prove its you is to write your name on your finger and get a picture of your finger pointing at each animal in the tide pool. As always...extra points for creativity and fun.

-Print these pictures and put them in your DIY Textbook. Next to the picture write the species name, common name, and some information about the organism. What does it eat? What animal eats it? etc.

Things to Remember:

Animals:

-Leave animals where they are. That is their home.

-You can gently pick up a hermit crab or snail but put them back where you got them.

-You can gently touch a sea anemone but never remove it from where it is attached, it would die.

-Do not try to pry a limpet or chiton off of a rock. They will hold on with all their might and you would hurt them.

-Do not try to remove barnacles or mussels.

-Touch all the algae and seaweed you want hahaha

-If you are lucky enough to find a starfish or sea urchin feel free to touch it gently. Do not pick them up or move them.

-If you are lucky enough to see a nudibranch (sea slug) do not touch it. They are delicate and remember that many of them are poisonous.

Clothing:

-It can be windy at the tide pools so you probably want a sweater.

-Your shoes will get wet but you will be walking on sharp rock so do not wear flimsy sandals because they will not protect you from the sharp rocks but you might not want to wear sneakers because they will get wet. Choose what you think will be best. I usually wear thick sandals that strap tight to my foot. I wear shorts and a shirt with a sweater. I am not afraid to step in water.

Parking:

-You need to pay for parking. I think it is $1 an hour. The parking machines take credit card or coins. I hate the machines. They are very slow and hardly work. Use quarters if you can. Much faster than their terrible old machines trying to read your credit card.

Alternative Assignment:

If you cannot make it to the tide pools you will have to create an alternative tide pool assignment.

In your DIY Textbook title a page Southern California Tide Pools

-You need a picture of tide pools. Print this picture or draw a picture of the tide pools and put it in your DIY Textbook. Then do a little research on tide pools and write some notes describing tide pools. Include anything interesting that you might learn about tide pools.

-You need to choose 10 Southern California Tide Pool organisms to sketch (Or print a picture of)

-You need to have at least one organism from 4 different phyla

-For each of your 10 organisms you need to say their phyla, their species name, their

habitat, where they are from, what they eat, and a fact about them.

-This is worth 20 points