invertebrates

phylum Echinodermata

• helmet urchin (Colobocentrotus atratus)*

• rock-boring sea urchin (Echinometra mathaei)

• oblong sea urchin (Echinometra oblonga)*

• white-spotted sea cucumber (Actinopyga varians)*

• black sea cucumber (Holothuria atra)*

phylum Cnidaria

• cauliflower corals (Pocillopora spp.)*

phylum Arthropoda

• hermit crabs (Calcinus spp.)

• thin-shelled rock crab (Grapsus tenuicrustatus)*

phylum Mollusca

• black nerite (Nerita picea)*

* = first identified species encounter

This was my first trip to intertidal zones in Hawaiʻi - and it wasn't even intentional! After an exciting day whale counting for NOAA's Sanctuary Ocean Count, my friend and I were wandering back to town when we stumbled upon a small path that led us straight to these rocky intertidal zones. Very exciting to explore this unique ecosystem with such diverse species for the first time.