plant/animal reference) to get a bigger picture
North Hastie Lake team photo 2009 |
Harlequin ducks |
Team crossing pool |
Gobiesox meandricus |
Purple ribbon worm ingesting polychaete |
Stalked jelly |
The North Hastie Lake team was not deterred by a little wind and rain on June 24th. Team captain Sue Howard put together a team of eleven and they stuck with it even after the skies opened up. With a -3.5 foot tide, the monitoring crew had a lot of beach to explore and they made some great finds. One exciting highlight was turning over a rock to discover a purple ribbon worm (Paranemertes peregrina) devouring a large polychaete. The team also encountered
caprellid amphipods, quite a number of stalked jellies, and a northern clingfish (Gobiesox maeandricus). The little clingfish is well named. Its pelvic fins have adapted to form a suction cup-like disk that helps it adhere to the rocks that it takes refuge under. Several color spattered harlequin ducks were spotted riding the swells just out from the beach as the team worked.