plant/animal reference) to get a bigger picture
Beth & Pete Investigating |
Monitoring Team |
All rocks are unique |
Lowest pt of tide - clay |
quadrats in seaweed |
Using the Ez-Id Guide |
An enthusiastic group of twelve Beach Watchers and guest volunteer, Bill Blandin, gathered at just before 10:00 am on the 23rd day of June at Cavalero Beach to perform Intertidal Monitoring. It was a pleasant dry day with temperatures in the mid to upper 50s. The group led by Cathy surveyed a single profile line with 24 segments out to -3.9 feet low tide level, and layed-out/evaluated nine quadrats.
The beach profile vertical height (VH) of 5.7 ft. was the lowest measured to date at this beach. The VH was measured as 7.1 ft. in 2008 and 7.8 ft. during 2007. These measurements seem reflective of a losing trend for substrate on this beach. Dissimilar to previous years about half the survey segments included clay/silt and about a quarter included ground shell materials. In previous years these substrate were mostly lacking on this beach. Marine organism variety and abundance was up from the 2007 levels and 2008 levels.
New information collected in the profile line in 2007 and this year for tracking of certain invertebrate allowed us to determine that the main species for barnacles was Balanus, for crabs was Hemigrapsus, and for snails was Littorina.
Invertebrates found included amphipods, anemones, arachnid, barnacles, crabs, fish, insects, isopods, jellies, limpets, mussels, polychaete, ribbon worms, snails, and bald eagles. Seaweed found included green, red and brown. One especially enjoyable find for monitors included the Haliplanella lineata, the lined anemone. This is a relatively uncommon anemone and its small size makes it hard to spot. When closed up, it is only about 1/4 inch in diameter. Haliplanella lineata is thought to have been introduced to the West Coast of North America about a hundred years ago when Pacific oysters were brought in.
Lined anemone Haliplanella lineata Haliplanella lineata |
Lined anemone Haliplanella2 Haliplanella2 |
We ended a successful monitoring event with a group photo and a picnic in the Park.
Written by Cathy M. with pictures provided by B. Blandin and J. McDougall.
