Discover Your Cape Cod Shore

On a clear, sunny September morning walk with author and science educator Gil Newton, we encountered all kinds of interesting marine and intertidal creatures as well as seaweeds (actually part of the Algae Kingdom we learned). We explored the shoreline and marsh ecology while pausing at the ocean’s edge with the Red River estuary/salt marsh stretching before us and the barrier beach beneath our feet. From ten eyes on a horseshoe crab to upside down barnacles to determining the age of a quahog, we discovered all sorts of fascinating facts along with the life cycles of our intertidal neighbors.

 

It was fun to find marine mollusks, crabs, echinoderms, sponges, horseshoe crabs, whelks, seaweeds and the other common species which share our sandy coast. Enjoy the gallery of photos courtesy of Gerry Beetham. Click a photo, it will enlarge on your screen, and then click the arrow on the side to see the next photo. Big thanks to Gil for inspiring our coastal curiosity and for authoring helpful local field guides. We look forward to crossing paths on the local beaches!