The best way to understand and love the ocean is to be in it. Anjani Ganase encourages youngsters, and their parents, to explore the sea, starting at the edges.
You do not have to be a swimmer to explore the ocean. Start on the beach, where the ocean meets the land, in the mangroves and at rocky intertidal pools.
Most beaches and bays of Tobago are lined by rocky shores with tidal rock pools to explore. My favourite and the most developed rocky pool system is Rocky Point in Mt Irvine. Here some rock pools are interconnected with deeper water channels that can be explored if you want to snorkel. In these rock pools, you are likely to find crabs scurrying over the rocks, barnacles, mussels, maybe tiny fish, an octopus and sometimes brain and finger corals, algae and sponges.
[caption id="attachment_1131621" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Arnos Vale features a rocky shore that is submerged at high tide. - [/caption]
During low tide on calm days, I have explored the tide pools of Arnos Vale and Culloden. These pools are home to hermit crabs, tiny fish, and urchins. These are easy to get to when the tide is out and the sea is calm.
[caption id="attachment_1131626" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Corals at a Mt Irvine rock pool. -[/caption]
The ecology of tide pools is fascinating! Marine life in tide pools is adapted to extreme conditions. The organisms in these environments live a life of sudden and dramatic changes, one minute submerged by seawater the next exposed to the sunlight. It can be a harsh environment where – when the tide is out – there’s the risk of desiccation.
Tide pools show large fluctuations in temperature, salinity, oxygen concentrations and acid or alkaline levels.
[caption id="attachment_1131622" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Rock pools at Culloden extend along the beach; with many different creatures. -[/caption]
Some organisms can move in and out of tide pools based for hunting. But these tiny pools can also serve as nurseries for fish and tiny invertebrate species. The timing for moving in and out of the tide pools is critical. Poor timing may result in being trapped or exposed. In some places such as Hawaii, where rocky shores are widespread and formed from lava flows, the tide pools are extensive and permanent. Many of the pools house great diversity, with unique, endemic species of crabs, mussels and other invertebrates. The tide pools of Hawaii are studied by marine scientists for insights into drivers of evolution and adaptation.
How to explore
Check the tide charts to choose the time to explore; when the tide is falling or low tide might be safest. As you become more experienced, you may want to see what is in the same pool at high tide; and what remains at low tide. Do not remove anything from the tidal pools and avoid stepping on the critters. You might want to wear secure booties to protect your feet. Use a mask or build an ocean-viewer or bathyscope using plastic.
[caption id="attachment_1131623" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Rocky pool at Mt Irvine. The
