Iverson Spit Beach - June 19, 2008

Balanus glandula top view

Balanus glandula crowded

Balanus crenatus2

On a breezy June 19 morning Donna W-S led nine Camano Beach Watchers to perform intertidal monitoring at Iverson Spit Beach which is located facing Port Susan, on the shoreline of Camano Island. This is a very sandy beach which has been monitored for several years, but last year, 2007, it was re-established from a new start point. For the interested reader, return to the profiles of 2007 and read about this unique shoreline.

A profile line was set out to the -1.9 foot low tide which occurred at 12:06 pm. This was the second year that this new profile line location (north end of the paved road to the public access entrance for the beach) was monitored. Species found pretty consistently along the profile line from about 270 feet to the end of the profile line at 572 feet included the barnacles, Balanus glandula

Balanus glandula top view

and Balanus crenatus,

Balanus crenatus2

and green seaweed, Ulva

Ulva

Crabs, clams, isopods, mussels and amphipods were also found, but much more sparsely. Crabs were found more consistently and abundantly along this profile line in 2007.

Thanks to Cathy M. for this data collection summary and Mary Jo A. for her photos.