Sea Life Near the Bowl!

This image shows a close-up of a sea anemone, specifically an aggregating anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima), commonly found in the intertidal zones of the Pacific coast of North America. The anemone is in its contracted state, with its tentacles partially retracted, which is typical when it's exposed to air during low tide.
The distinctive feature here is the "shell gravel" or small pebbles, shell fragments, and sand particles that are attached to its body. Aggregating anemones use their sticky outer surface to collect these materials, which serve as a protective layer against desiccation (drying out) and UV radiation when the tide is out. The tentacles, visible at the bottom of the image, are used for feeding and capturing prey when the anemone is submerged in water.
These anemones often live in colonies and can reproduce asexually by splitting, which is why you might see many of them clustered together in tide pools or rocky shores. They also have a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues, which provide them with nutrients through photosynthesis.