plant/animal reference) to get a bigger pictureDungeness crab Ala Spit team photo2009 Eelgrass
The 2009 monitoring season was off to a busy start with three beaches going under scrutiny on April 26th. The Ala Spit team, headed up by Sammye Kempbell had a broad expanse of sand and muddy sand to inventory. In the middle intertidal zone, they found half a dozen small nonnative 
Haliplanella lineata (commonly called lined anemones) that were hidden among mussel clumps. Further down in the eelgrass, Jim Somers and Pattie Hutchins spotted two large Dungeness crabs (Cancer magister) dug into the soft substrate with only their eyes and a bit of carapace exposed. Several small gunnel eels were also found lurking amongst the eelgrass. Barry Dunn commented that the highlight for her was just getting the team together and seeing everyone again.