Some walks

Tar Tank beach

When I was still nimble (before I tore my hamstring) the kids and I were doing a hike every afternoon.  Generally nothing too arduous - mostly checking out beaches or climbing small knobs.  

On one walk Nora and I were comparing the inter tidal zone of Maine to what we are used to on Kodiak.  At one level they are pretty similar.  Lots of rock weed, periwinkles and barnacles.  But when you look a little closer they are different.  In Maine there does seem to be far less 'stuff' - nowhere near as many barnacles for instance.  I also noticed that the water seems more saline, warmer and is far more murky.  Doesn't murky water mean more nutrients - shouldn't there be more biological 'mass'?

Anyway, it was all food for thought and I told Nora that anthropologically speaking the Gulf of Maine is actually a pretty proxy comparison with the Gulf of Alaska.  And in the past peoples in the 2 regions have adapted to the gulf ecosystems in a lot of the same ways.

It is also illuminating to compare the 2 gulfs from an ecosystem standpoint.  How have they reacted to over-fishing, climate change?  What happened when you removed some big players in the system like the shad and salmon on the east coast? 

In any case, it got me thinking are the differences between the inter tidal zones more a result of their recent history (ie human impacts) or have the differences always existed?  The 2 gulfs might actually be more similar than they are now!  Food for thought.

Patrick

Ames Knob trail

Mullens Head at low tide