OCS 1005 Lecture 7: ck (2)
16 Nov 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Few animals eat kelp directly (urchins and sea slugs are exceptions) Not vascular plants, no true roots or vascular system. Some species can grow to be 30m high. Very fast growing= up to 1m per day. Sandy beach and mud flat: important physical factors. Particle size: determines interstitial space (space between particles), how much substrate shifts. How much space there is between the grains and how much the substrate will shift around. The affects how easy it is to burrow in and how much water is retained as well. Smaller grain size= less water exchange= less oxygen. Particle size and sorting- determines amount of water that penetrates which determines oxygen levels. Live deep enough in the substrate that you are not affected. Be able to burrow quickly after being removed by a wave. Have a smooth shell to allow quick burrowing. Have a ridged shell to grip the sand. Small sand dollars accumulate iron as a weight.
