ROCKY SHORES

PART 1
Conservation Ecology 1B/Ecology 2
(Marine Ecology)
 Rocky Shores
• Combination of rocks and sand

• Large physical gradient

between land and sea

• Made up of different zones

• Species have to adapt to the

conditions on rocky shores
 3 Major Factors Shape Rocky
Shores in SA
1) Increase in physical stress
from low to high shore

2) Intensity of wave action
→ influences community
composition
3) Increase in water
temperature and decrease
in productivity from W to E
Stressors:
• Wave shock
• Temperature changes
• Salinity changes
• Desiccation
• Predator exposure
 Conditions on Rocky Shores
• Stressful place to inhabit

• Habitat submerged in water and exposed to intense

wave action twice a day when the tide rises

• Heated up to 45 degrees C during low tides and

organisms can lose up to 70% of their body water

• Species with different tolerances occupy different

heights on the shore forming distinct zones
 Rocky Shore Zonation
• Most rocky shores have four distinct zones:
High shore
1) Littorina Zone
2) Upper Balanoid Zone
3) Lower Balanoid Zone
4) Infratidal Zone
Low shore

• Low shore – wave action and species interactions

influence distribution and abundance of species
• High shore – survival of heat and water loss more
important than interplay between species
 Zonation around the coast
• The four basic zones are modified along different
sections of the SA coastline

1) West-coast zonation
2) South-coast zonation 5 Zones each
3) East-coast zonation
1) West-coast zonation
• Littorina – few species due to harsh
conditions → tiny periwinkle
Afrolittorina knysnaensis and purple
laver Porphyra capensis
• Upper Balanoid – used to be occupied
mainly by granular limpet until alien
barnacle Balanus glandula arrived
• Lower Balanoid – various algae.
Where there is more wave action,
mussels dominate – used to be the
native Aulacomya atra but now the
invasive Mytilus galloprovincialis
• Cochlear/Argenvillei – exposed shores
dominated by pear and Argenvilles
limpet, sheltered shores high
densities of granite limpet
• Infratidal – redbait, algal mats.
Subtidally, many kelp species which is
characteristic of the west coast
2) South-coast zonation
• Same zones as on
west coast but
different species
 3) East-coast zonation
• Also 5 zones but instead of Cochlear/
Argenvillei zone → Oyster belt zone just
below the Littorina
• Species composition very different to the
west and south coasts
• Littorina zone has three periwinkle species
• Oyster belt zone dominated by Natal rock
oyster
• Other new organisms that appear include
the Lustrous and variable limpets,
Zoanthids, Corals and different algal species
No large kelp
species,
rather smaller
algal species
 Species adaptations along rocky
shores
• Species have to cope with 1) desiccation, 2)
extreme changes in temperature and 3) intense
wave action
• Mobile species such as crabs and seastars can run/move
away to avoid some of the stressors
• Sedentary (e.g. mussels, barnacles) or slow moving (e.g.
limpets, periwinkles) organisms need to have specific
adaptations to deal with the stressors
 Species adaptations along rocky
shores
1. Desiccation (water loss)
• Limpets
SIZE – Larger Limpets → Small SA:V → Loses less water
SHAPE – Limpet has large foot in contact with rock compared
to periwinkle for e.g., therefore water loss is faster compared
to periwinkle (Note: periwinkle also has an operculum to seal
its shell and avoid water loss)
Species adaptations along rocky
shores
 Species adaptations along rocky
shores
1. Desiccation (water loss)
• Algae Porphyra: section of blade Wet
Dry

- Release mucous
Mucous shrinks and
cells remain unharmed Mucous swells

Splachnidium: plant Sections through Splachnidium

Dry

Mucous shrinks
Cell layer wrinkled

Wet

Mucous swells
 Species adaptations along rocky
shores
1. Desiccation (water loss)
• Algae
- Release mucous
- Branch out to trap water

Iyengaria stellata
Water trapped between
branches of plant
 Species adaptations along rocky
shores
2. Temperature (heat gain and loss)
• Molluscs – Gastropods (Limpets and periwinkles)
- Shell structure
- Foot size Gain less heat
from sun and
rocks vs limpet
• Radiation – source of heat
from sun
• Convection – heat
gain/loss from/to air
• Reradiation – heat back
into air
• Conduction – heat
gain/loss from/to rocks
 Species adaptations along rocky
shores
2. Temperature (heat gain and loss)
 Species adaptations along rocky
shores
2. Temperature (heat gain and loss)

Winkle shell structure better adapted than Limpet in terms of heat loss and gain
(foot of limpet better for adherence to rocks)
Ridges, ripples or projections increase ability to re-radiate
 Species adaptations along rocky
shores
3. Wave action
• Filter-feeders thrive off strong wave action (e.g. mussels,
ascidians, barnacles)
• Some organisms avoid wave action by living in crevices or
pools (e.g. urchins, anemones)
 Species adaptations along rocky
shores
3. Wave action
How are species adapted to endure
the strong wave action?
• Kelp and other algae → root-like
structures for strong attachment,
branched structures, fibrous
tissues, flexible, low-growing
• Mussels → byssal threads
• Limpets → force of adhesion,
mucous
• Oysters and barnacles →
cement-like secretions
 Species adaptations along rocky
shores
3. Wave action
- Limpet shells

Streamlining reduces
resistance to waves

Slightly roughened
body reduces
turbulence behind
the body
Do you need a break?
 Life cycles on rocky shores
• Most organisms attached to rocks – rely on larvae
or spores for dispersal
• Majority → broadcast spawners → larvae carried
by currents and tides → relatively few survive to
maturity
• Examples of broadcast spawners include:

Mussels Winkles Many Limpet species

 Life cycles on rocky shores
• Life cycle of mussel
Veliger larva Pediveliger
– stage of larva – stage
larva when of larva when
the foot and it’s able to
shell starts to crawl and
develop use its foot

Trochophore
larva –
planktonic,
roughly
spherical
body, band of
cilia, and a
spinning
motion
 Life cycles on rocky shores
• Most barnacles are hermaphrodites → employ
internal fertilization → fewer sperm and egg wasted
• Larvae initially brooded inside shell then released as
feeding stage called ‘nauplius’
• Metamorphoses into cyprid non-feeding larval stage
that is a strong swimmer → finds its way back to shore
to settle
 Life cycles on rocky shores
• Whelks → internal fertilization → lay eggs in
protective capsules → development in capsule → eggs
hatch into miniature adults

Nucella squamosa – scaly dogwhelk

 Life cycles on rocky shores
• Red-chested sea cucumber and plum anemone broods
young within their bodies
Young burst through
adults body wall,
attach to the parent
using their rears with
feeding tentacles
projected outward

Crawl from parents

mouths to settle
nearby
 Life cycles on rocky shores
• Different life cycle adaptations dependent on the type
of species that ensures their survival and ability to
maintain their populations on the rocky shores

Broadcast spawners (external fertilisation)

Internal fertilisation
Eggs in capsules

Pelagic larvae
Adults brooding young
 NEXT ROCKY SHORES PART 2

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