invertebrates

phylum Echinodermata

• purple sea urchin (Arbacia punctulata)*

phylum Cnidaria

•  northern star coral (Astrangia poculata)*

phylum Arthropoda

• Atlantic mud crab (Panopeus herbstii)*

• northern acorn barnacle (Semibalanus balanoides)

phylum Mollusca

• rough periwinkle (Littorina saxatilis)*

• common periwinkle (Littorina littorea)

• eastern oyster drill (Urosalpinx cinerea)*

• blue mussel (Mytilus edulis)*

* = first identified species encounter

First trip to Rhode Island (or any east coast) tide pools! It kind of surprised me how high the tide felt where I was, despite a minus tide. The waves were rough, and the rocks had a very slippery green algae all over them, which isn't really a thing in Half Moon Bay. Certainly made it hard to get to the edge of the water. The geology here is noticeably different, from the types of rocks, to the types of formations and general layout of the area, which I found rather interesting. I was INCREDIBLY surprised to find a purple urchin (my first East Coast urchin!) today, given how high in the tide zones I was, but fantastic to find regardless! Great day overall!