An Owl Limpet's Garden

My newest (short) story!

"Today’s urban tidepool exploration begins as I kneel next to a patch of barren rock occupied solely by a squat, snail-like creature. She is a female Owl Limpet (Lottia gigantea), with ridges and barnacles texturing the top of her conical, chicken-egg-sized shell.

As I rub my inquisitive fingers along her serrated upper surface, I notice a green hue and slimy texture—a layer of algae, I deduce—growing upon the surrounding rock. The algal layer is arranged in a striking patchwork pattern, as if a miniature lawn mower had been haphazardly dragged across an overgrown, slippery lawn..."

Read the rest at The Urban Field Naturalist Project