Panthera pardus, Queen of the Savanna
Marie Toorians
Category: Environment/Other
The Calm Before the Storm
Rebecca Hansen
Award winner
Intertidal organisms like kelp and surfgrass can handle a whole of wave action. The beach where this photo was taken is a popular spot for surfers, especially in the winter. In the summer, when milder weather coincides with low tides, conditions are calm enough to reveal how much is growing in this extreme environment. The looming clouds suggest this calm won't last for long though! Seagrass and kelp are only very distantly related, but they both have thin, flexible bodies that allow them to move with the waves, giving them a better chance of staying attached to the substrate.
