Synopsis
Describes the physical characteristics of tide pools and the organisms that inhabit them.
Science Book & Fiction
One in a series on ecosystems, this book discusses tide pools, their living inhabitants, and the factors that affect both on a daily and longer-term basis. The causes of the twice-daily high and low tides are explained, as are their consequences. Hazards include fluctuating salinity, oxygen levels, temperature changes, whether food is available, evaporation leading to desiccation, and, occasionally, violent storms. Various algae and other creatures that live in tide pools are described, as are their strategies for coping with the numerous hazards. Molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms are treated in more detail, but there are shorter references to nudibranchs, sea squirts, sponges, plankton, small fish, and seaweed. In the main, the book is well written, but there are a few questionable statements. For example, not all brown algae are kelps, and neither do kelps look a lot like lettuce (at least, not any lettuce that I've eaten). Also, the picture on page 29 that is allegedly of kelp looks a lot like bladder wrack to me, and again, do rock crabs really use their eyestalks "as sensitive antennae that help [them] feel things and smell prey"? If so, what are their antennae for? Finally, listing only a few glossary definitions is not good. Illustrated with good color photos and containing both a list of resources and an index, this small book is suitable for the elementary school grades and for general awareness. (a First Book.) Acceptable, Grades 1-6. REVIEWER: Janet Dando