Along Oregon?s rugged coastline, the rocky intertidal zone forms one of the most dynamic and diverse habitats on Earth. Twice each day, the pull of the tide transforms this landscape?submerging it in swirling seawater, then exposing it to sun and air. Amid crashing waves and shifting conditions, an extraordinary community of plants and animals has adapted to thrive.

This custom design by local artist Emily Poole celebrates the intricate beauty of these coastal ecosystems. It features the sturdy purple shore crab, a small but resilient creature that scuttles among barnacle-covered rocks, along with the gooseneck barnacle, whose flexible stalks allow it to cling tightly in the surf. Completing the scene is the graceful bladderwrack seaweed, its buoyant bladders lifting it toward sunlight and forming shelter for countless small marine species.

From tidepool to headland, each rocky outcrop supports a world of motion and color. Standing at the Otter Crest Scenic Viewpoint, visitors can look out across Cape Foulweather. As the area cascades down its coastal headland, rocky shores provide a transition between land and sea, offering a home for crabs, anemones, and sea stars who share crevices carved by centuries of waves. These living shorelines not only host incredible biodiversity?they also buffer coastal erosion and reflect the health of our ocean ecosystems.

Rocky intertidal zones are where land and sea meet in constant conversation. By caring for these habitats and the creatures that call them home, we help ensure Oregon?s coast continues to pulse with life long into the future.