AS-06 ROCK BORER’S ASSORTMENT

Three to five pieces of subtidal “living” limestone rock are gathered by SCUBA diving to demonstrate the complex ecosystem of rock dwelling organisms. These rocks are guaranteed to be riddled with a variety of boring, attached, and encrusted organisms. To study the boring forms, the rocks should be broken apart with a hammer, exposing the feather duster worms, and a wide variety of other polychaetes, boring clams, sipunculids, and occasionally, echiuroids. The rocks themselves are frequently encrusted with coral, bryozoans, barnacles, tunicates, and sponges. Some may bear turkey-wing clams and gorgonians; others have rich growth of algae.