Rock of Colours

Stock Photo: Rock covered with encrusting, meatball and golfball sponges, sea weeds in background

I love temperate seas for their massive algae growth, for kelp forests, but especially for the invertebrate life of many colours and shapes. Invertebrates can be usually find in deeper water or in the shade of reefs where light cannot penetrate and they don’t have to fight vegetation. However, there are numerous places where strong currents bring a lot of nutrients and make it difficult for algae to grow. There sponges can be found in shallow water and in places exposed to sun rays … like in Whangateau Harbour, near its mouth at Ti Point Wharf.

Keywords: sponge sponges encrusting golfball meatball orange red pink brown underwater undersea rock rocky algae “sea weed” weed vegetation colourful colorful shallow water temperate Pacific ocean