Ghost Crab 



Osprey 



By Jeannie Faris 



Picture your favorite beach. Now 

 think how you'd describe it to some- 

 one who's never been there. 



Chances are, you'd paint a mental 

 portrait of crystalline sand, dunes 

 capped with sea oats, the quietening 

 rhythm of waves, sun on the sea. The 



These small coastal wonders can be dwarfed 

 by the sheer scale of the seashore. 

 Though they don't leave footprints like ours, 

 they do leave other clues of their presence. 



coastline you conjure is probably 

 nature's sweeping collision of land, 

 water and wind. 



But think again. What about the 

 little critters that live in the sand and 

 the shallow ocean waters? These small 

 coastal wonders can be dwarfed by the 

 sheer scale of the seashore. Though 



they don't leave footprints like ours, 

 they do leave other clues of their pres- 

 ence. 



Beachgoers can tune in to these 

 clues and learn to identify and appreci- 

 ate these creatures, says Lundie Spence, 

 Sea Grant's marine education specialist. 

 "You don't necessarily need a nature 

 guide. Just be willing to get a little wet 

 and sandy," she says. 



The water's edge is a good place to 

 start. 



Scoop up a double handful of sand 

 after a wave washes over. The tickling 

 of little feet digging into your palm is a 

 mole crab doing what comes naturally. 

 This tiny crustacean, no more than 1/2 

 to 1 inch long, lives at the surf's edge 

 and digs its body backward into the 

 sand after a wave passes. 



In that same handful of sand, you 

 might find a few coquina clams — tiny, 

 colorful mollusks that also bury them- 

 selves in the surf. 



2 JULY/AUGUST 1993 



