NPS/Todd Edgar

Sea stars and other marine life are fragile; if you handle them, please be gentle.

Leave No Trace principles should be followed when you explore the intertidal zone. Here are some specific principles to remember:

• No footgear will save you from slippery intertidal rocks covered with algae and seaweed. Travel slowly.
• Know the tides and be wary of waves, especially in high surf conditions. 
• Avoid crunching barnacles with your feet, especially large barnacle hummocks. 
• Spread out your group to disperse impacts. 
• Handle marine organisms with great care and discrimination, and only if you must. Return them to the exact spot you found them. 
• Do not collect live animals such as sand dollars or sea stars. 
• Do not collect beach cobbles. 
• Collect only unoccupied seashells. 
• Harvest mussels, clams, and other shellfish according to state regulations.

Learn more about exploring tidepools.