Marine Biology

 Lower Intertidal Zone

Below the bed of mussels lies the lower intertidal zone, which is dominated by seaweeds. The red seaweed commonly known as Irish moss (Chondrus crispus) grows like a thick carpet over the rocks in this zone. When the tide is low, spaces between the rocks retain water, forming small habitats known as tide pools . Tide pools are like natural aquarium tanks that contain algae, invertebrates (such as snails and crabs), and small fish.