Rocky Shore

Marine Discovery Centre

Rocky Shore

The rocky shore of Hastings Point contain our oldest rocks, formed around 370 million years ago when the coastline was 200km inland. Sediments from an ancient volcanic mountain chain on the edge of this coastline washed into deep ocean trenches.

Over time, pressure and heat cemented these sediments into rocks. The rocks emerged at the surface as sea levels dropped and the Earth’s outer crust buckled, cracked and warped.

Rocky shore ecosystems are coastal shores made from solid rock. Although constant wave action and rising and falling tides make it one of the toughest places to live, the rocky shores are home to many shelled and other animals, such as barnacles, periwinkles and crabs.