first+vist


 * __First visit__ **

My place is down at the very end of Kailua Beach Park. The tide pools border the sidewall from the road coming in to Lanikai. The tide pools stretch all the way from the end of Kailua beach to the very beginning of Lanikai Beach Park. The tides pools vary in size depending on what size the rocks are. Eroding from the waves over time have caused small under water caves under the tide pools, so when a wave comes and washes in, some of the smell pools that are connected fill with water. Most of them are just small solid pools. In between the black rocks that make up this area, are creases that are filled with water, where many small animals like hermit crabs and fish live. Opihi are along the rocks from the tide coming in and residing. The rocks closer to land are browner and have little cru stations on them, from the tide coming in and out, like the opihi. On the rocks by the ocean, have green sea moss on them, making it slippery to walk on. There are big black rocks that border the tide pools, have crabs that crawl in and out of the spaces in-between the rocks. I think this is a good place to study because of the tide and how it affects the ecosystem here. An example would be if one visits, there was a coconut in one of the larger tide pools, and the next visit it wasn’t there but higher on the land.

A predator prey relationship that is evident in my eco-place is many crab remains that litter the rocks. The crab’s use the rocks as protection form the birds and their dark coloring as camouflage. The crabs eat little fish that get stuck in the smaller tide pools, and when the crabs come out to eat the birds get their opportunity to eat also. The crab remains are up closer by the dryer rocks more by the land. While exploring the tide pools, inside many if the small ones, there where open clams that had been opened up and eaten. I’m not sure what could have eaten them, because there was no evidence of them being cracked open or anything like that. On some of the rocks is evidence that some opihi have been peeled off and taken. I think that it was from people coming down and taking the opihi off the rocks then taking them home to cook and to eat. My mom did when she took me.

** __Second visit__ **

The tide pools have a bunch of different creatures living there. In some of the tide pools, there are some fish, birds, and some cru stations, like hermit crabs, snails, and crabs. The crabs that crawl along the black rocks are black to math the black rocks that they hide in. On their backs is a speckled pattern of darker dots. They use this to hide from predators, like sea birds, that hunt on them. Along the tide pools, were various crab remains from birds. The crabs would hide in the rocks whenever something would come near it. They would come out in the sun and warm themselves. Their were a number of tide pools scattered long the rocks. Some were small and deep, others were and big shallow. In the different tide pools, there were different animals that were washed in from the tide. In the large shallow ones, there were some fish. The fish were colored gray and speckled with brown and black. It was kind a rare to see fish in the shallow ones, and the fish that were in the large ones, were always small that you couldn’t see them unless you looked closely or is they swam around the tide pool. In the smaller but deep tide pools, there were fish as well, but they were larger and had bigger tails. They were the same color as the small ones, just more noticeable. Sometimes In the pools, there would be small rocks that the fish would hide under if they saw movement. They’re that specked gray color to camouflage with the rocks under them, so that predators like crabs and birds, can’t see them. In a lot of the small tide pools, there were hermit crabs. Mostly small ones, but the only big hermit crabs I found were in a long narrow, and slightly deep tide pool. They had different shells on and there eye stalks were a deep blue. When you picked them up, they would get tucked in there shell and hide. Their legs were a striped black and orange color. In a lot of the tide pools were snails. They wouldn’t move, but stay attached to the rocks. Most if them, their shells were black to camouflage against the rocks. Only a few were a brown or grayish color. They also were in different sizes. Most of them were small, and barley able to be picked up. The larger ones were more noticeably and easy to grab and be placed in your hand. Like the hermit crabs, they would tuck into their shells, but unlike the hermit crabs they wouldn’t come back out until they were put on the rocks. Along most of the rocks above water, there were lots of other snails, or opi’i. The opi’I would be stuck to the rocks where you couldn’t get them off. There were also opi’i in the tide pools. They were still hard to get off. The main predator for them would be a human. People get knives and scrape them off the rocks, then stick them in a pot of boiling water to cook. Though at the tide pools, where I went, there was a lot of opi’I everywhere. The opi’i on the rocks above water had dried up salt encrusted on their shells.

How come there are more species in the smaller, but deeper tide pools, then the large but shallower ones? Does it have to do with predators?

__**Third visit**__

People, who live around Kailua Beach Park, come down to the beach by the tide pools. Even people who don’t live in the area come here. Tourists like to walk on the tide pools and look at the organisms living in the pools. Some locals sometimes come to the tide pools to get opihi off the ricks, but rarely. Next the tide pool spot is a boating ramp. Sometimes the oil from the boats gets washed up on the edge of the rocks in the water. A lot of trash can sometimes be found on the rocks from all the people who go to the beach. When I went we found a fishing lever and wire along with a chip bag and some plastic. People, who live near by, sometimes come down to pick up all the trash that fly’s down the beach.


 * __Fourth visit__ **

**Crab**

//Kingdom-Animalia// //Phylum- Arthropoda// //Class- Malacostraca// //Order- Decapoda//


 * Hermit crab**

//Kingdom-Anamalia// //Phylum-Mollusca// //Class- Gastropoda// //Order- Neritoida//


 * Opihi**

//Kingdom-Anamalia// //Phylum-Mollusca// //Class- Gastropoda// //Order- Neritoida//