emac tide pools

Effects of Waves on Tide PoolBiodiversity

By Emily McDowell, Maile Prickett, Amy Barnes, CarolynEzell

Question: Is the Biodiversity in a tide poolecosystem affected by high energy wavesystems?

Hypothesis: There will be greater diversity intide pools that are sheltered.

Location

We went here:

X

X

PointPinos

SiteA

SiteB

The WavesNorthPacificSwell

Southern Swell

Project Details

• Analyzed data.

• Found tide pool sites similar in size andelevation.

• Used half of a quadrat to count number ofspecies in each pool.

Tools

• MeasuringTape

• Compass• Quadrat• Kneel pads• The internet

Site A

Site B

ResultsMore diversity was found at Site A

Relative Density

Biodiversity IndexScores

SiteA

SiteB

Striped ShoreCrabsBlack Turban SnailsThatched BarnaclesRough LimpetsHermit CrabsCalifornia MusselsGreen Anemone

What does it mean??Possible reasons exposed side ispreferred…• Predation• Nutrient flow

Conclusions

Possible errors:• Difficulty in identifying

areas of impact• Identifying most

representative sample

Hypothesis was disproved!

The wave watcher. Safety first!

Future Projects

• Survey the area ahead of time• Take physical measurements• Research the various organisms

References• Dr. Raskoff• Dr. Durstenfeld• Sanctuarysimon.org• Mikey Selbicky (local

wave enthusiast)