Elger Bay - June 4, 2008

818;819;820

821;822

There were 15 hardy Camano Island Beach Watchers (plus Bill B.) who gathered in rain gear on Wednesday June 4, prepared to do the monitoring at Elger Bay. It was the second of the series of beaches to monitor for the 2008 season on Camano. The write-in-the-rain paper came in handy as the data collectors jotted notes. We also made use of the new hand held, all the time wiping off the visual screen.

A few highlights were: a very colorful lined chiton, and a number of idotea, the absence of any urchins was noted. Uniquely shaped critters were a

colorful sea star, apparently a Evasterias , that had a little leg growing from the side of one of its five larger legs and several nudibranchs sharing its rock, and a frilled snail, Nucella lamellosa, whose shell had been damaged and broken, but it continued to survive and mend the shell which now has a scar along with the natural swirls. There also was a

rock crab, Cancer oregonensis, which sported a unique color configuration on its carapace. The white markings were in the shape of a 'C' or possibly a 'U'. (John C. was sure it was trying to relay a coded message to him.)

Newly trained Camano Beach Watchers were welcomed to monitoring and received a hands-on overview of doing the profiles, quadrats, and data collection.

Comments received:
It is great to be with people who knew what they saw and shared the examples with me.
I surprised myself by being able to stand up after finishing the quadrats.
It was fun and I learned names.

Thanks to Bill B. for assisting in laying the survey lines, to all who came and participated, and Alice B. for hosting this monitoring session and providing a great report.

Tide this date was -4.1 at 11:46 AM (Greenbank)