Beneath the seaweed starfishes and sea urchins cling to the rocks with sticky tube feet. Mussels hold on with lifelines they weave themselves. Just below them grows a red seaweed, Irish moss. It was once collected along the coast of Maine with long-handled rakes. It was used to thicken puddings, ice cream, milk shakes, and toothpaste.
Green crabs wander throughout the tidepool, always looking for a chance to grab a meal.
They keep close to cover, though, to avoid being noticed by a sharp-eyed herring gull. In the lowest tidepools, sea anemones, sponges, and baby lobsters find shelter under the swaying fronds of brown kelp. Each retreat of the tides reveals a miniature ocean world. Sit quietly by the edge of a tidepool and wait for its secrets to open up to you. Personal Periwinkle Collect enough periwinkles for each student in the class.