Camano Island State Park - July 14, 2010

With the completion of monitoring for 2010, Camano Beach Watchers took the time to begin evaluation of data collection. You can find a set of comparisons in CHARTS that are linked at the bottom of the main Intertidal Zone webpage. Take a look at what collected data says about our species gains/losses on our shorelines. Then enjoy the pictures below from this year's monitoring.

CISP - 2010

Intertidal Monitoring teams set up lines on both the north and south sides of the State Park boat launch areas. Beach Watchers have been observing for several years the significant differences between the two sides. The "south" side is rather devoid of critters while the "north" side is richer in both seaweeds and sea life. One factor that is introduced here is the wave motion difference between the two sides. Other conclusions are yet to be drawn.

Eagle watching L1 Eagle watching L1

Team searching Team searching

Temp supervisor Temp supervisor

Isopod Isopod

Filament Disposal Filament Disposal

Team concensus Team consensus

Partridge Point

Partridge Point team photo 2010 Partridge Point team photo 2010

Team at work-Partridge Point Team at work-Partridge Point

..Leptosynapta sp... Burrowing sea cucumber Burrowing sea cucumber Burrowing sea cucumber

..Gobiesox meandricus.. Northern clingfish Tiny clingfish Tiny clingfish

Probable Mopalia sp. Probable Mopalia sp.

..Suberites sp... Suberities sp. Suberities sp.

..Henricia sp... Blood star Blood star Blood star

..Halichondria sp... Breadcrumb sponge Halichondria Halichondria

After the cold windy conditions encountered monitoring Rosario Beach, the Partridge Point team was relieved the next day to find that the weather was considerably improved. In fact, it was downright nice as the team of six surveyed that very diverse rocky, high energy west Whidbey beach. They found four species of encrusting sponge (breadcrumb, purple, red, and Suberites), two species of sea stars (blood star and sunflower star), and a nifty large green and gray shrimp. It was unusual that no Leptasterias (six-rayed) sea stars were seen as that species has been a common find on this beach in previous years. Large numbers of little brown barnacles (Cthamalus dalli) were observed on the high intertidal erratic at the start of the profile line and further down, team members were delighted to find numerous tiny northern clingfish (Gobiesox maeandricus) among the kelp. Two unusual finds were those of a small white burrowing sea cucumber of the genus Leptosynaptas and a brightly colored chiton thought to be one of the Mopalias.

..Acrosiphonia coalita.. Green rope Acrosiphonia Acrosiphonia

..Plocamium cartilaginium.. Sea comb Plocamium Plocamium

..Osmundia spectabilis.. Sea laurel Sea laurel Sea laurel

..Bossiella sp... Red coralline algae Bossiella Bossiella

As the tide reached its lowest point (-2.7 feet), an amazing assortment of seaweed was revealed including Osmundia spectabilis (sea laurel), Plocamium sp. (sea comb), Alaria marginata (winged kelp), Egregia menziesii (feather boa kelp), Nereocystis luetkeana (bull kelp), upright and encrusting red coralline algae, and Acrosiphonia sp. (green rope). In addition the seagrass Phyllospadix grew from low intertidal boulders.

Rosario Beach

All three teams at work All three teams at work

Rosario Beach team photo 2010 Rosario Beach team photo 2010

Team 1 Team 1

Team 2 Team 2

Team 3 Team 3

..Urticina crassicornis.. Christmas anemone Urticina crassicornis Urticina crassicornis

..Leptochiton rugatus.. Dwarf chiton Dwarf chiton Dwarf chiton

It was a bundled up crew that turned out to monitor Rosario Beach on July 12th. A cold wind stirred up whitecaps and chilled the bones so coats, hats, and even mittens were the order of the day. Those conditions made it hard to believe it was mid-July! Because this beach is bedrock, there is no profile line; instead, 17 quadrats are laid out. Seaweed and animal life within each quadrat’s area are identified and quantified. The eight monitors were divided into three teams, each of which tackled their assigned quadrats. Among the finds were 5 species of barnacles and 4 species of limpets. They counted hundreds of periwinkles and saw Onchidella borealis, a tiny pulmonate sea slug commonly called a leather limpet. In addition they identified Gould’s baby chiton (Lepidochitona sp.) and a dwarf chiton (Leptochiton rugatus). The dwarf chiton was quite an unusual find. Its common name is a good one as their maximum length is only about half an inch. This species is typically whitish in color and found in the very low intertidal zone.

..Endocladia muricata.. Sea moss Endocladia muricata Endocladia muricata

..Leathesia difformis.. Sea cauliflower Leathesia Leathesia

The team also found a diversity of seaweed including rockweed (Fucus sp.), sea moss (Endocladia muricata), and sea cauliflower (Leathesia). Sammye Kempbell is team captain at Rosario.

Honeymoon Bay

Honeymoon Bay team photo 2010 Honeymoon Bay team photo 2010

..Lophopanopeus bellus .. Black clawed crab Black clawed crab Black clawed crab

A team of four turned out for Honeymoon Bay on July 11th with Finn Gatewood heading up the team. Using 20 foot sections, they made quick work of the profile line. Along the way they found 3 plainfin midshipmen fish guarding their egg clusters. Those midshipmen fish that guard the egg clusters are typically males that remain for the 15 days it takes for the eggs to hatch and then continue to guard the larvae for about a month until they are mature enough to leave the nest. This team also found an abundance of black clawed crabs (Lophopanopeus bellus). Owners of this beach and a couple of their friends came along for the survey and noted they are beginning to find non-native purple varnish clams showing up along this stretch of the intertidal zone.

Columbia Beach

Columbia Beach team at work Columbia Beach team at work

Working on profile line Working on profile line

Bill and Evelyn Blair put together a team of seven to look at Columbia Beach on July 10th. They found dramatic changes had taken place due to shifting sediments building up the beach. It was especially noticeable against a bulkhead that at one time stood 5 feet above the surface but now only 15 inches of it remains visible above the sand. Drift logs have also washed in and helped to stabilize the new sediment. This in turn has allowed backshore plants to make an appearance. The team found that overall abundance of organisms was down in comparison to previous years including numbers of moonsnails. The most popular critter find of the day was a caprellid amphipod.

North Hastie Lake

..Chthamalus dalli.. Little brown barnacle Chthamalus dalli Chthamalus dalli

North Hastie Lake team photo 2010 North Hastie Lake team photo 2010

..Anthopleura artemisia.. Moonglow anemone Anthopleura artemisia Anthopleura artemisia

..Pisaster ochraceus.. Purple sea star Pisaster ochraceus Pisaster ochraceus

..Haliclona sp... Purple encrusting sponge Haliclona Haliclona

..Haematopus bachmani.. Black oystercatcher Black oystercatcher Black oystercatcher

..Bossiella sp... Red coralline algae Red coralline algae Red coralline algae

..Costaria costata.. Seersucker kelp Costaria costata Costaria costata

Sue Howard put together a team of ten to work at North Hastie Lake on June 14th. In past years, there has been a large pool of water in the mid-intertidal area on this beach. The water drains out as the team works its way down the upper beach and is dry by the time they reach that area. This year, the drainage path had accumulated so much sand, the drainage was blocked and the pool of water remained. Because of this about a quarter of the profile line and the +1 foot quadrats were under up to a foot of water. The team worked their way through the water and did their best under challenging conditions. They still made some good finds including the BB sized little brown barnacle Cthamalus dalli, moonglow anemones, and three species of encrusting sponge (breadcrumb, purple, and red). Other highlights from the day were an aggregating anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima) that appeared to be in the process of dividing, several decorator crabs, a deer seen wandering down the beach, and a small flock of oystercatchers that winged their way by. Quite a variety of seaweeds were seen including red coralline algae, Alaria marginata, and Costaria costata.

West Sunset

..Pisaster ochraceus.. Purple sea star Pisaster ochraceus Pisaster ochraceus

West Sunset Beach team photo 2010 West Sunset Beach team photo 2010

..Archidoris montereyensis.. Monterey sea lemon Archidoris montereyensis Sea lemon Archidoris montereyensis

Here is team captain Charlie Seablom's report from West Sunset Beach: It was a good day to be on the beach. The weather was nice and the second lowest tide of the year – what more could a Beach Watcher ask for? The upper part of the beach has few organisms living there. In the first 110+ feet we saw nothing but amphipods, barnacles, and a couple of limpets. When we got to the big rock it got interesting. It has three kinds of barnacles, tubeworms, ribbon worms, mussels, limpets and more. Farther down the number of species dropped off, but there were a few boulders exposed that had enough stuff to keep us interested. Because of the good weather there were a lot of walkers on the beach. Some of them stopped to ask us what we were doing. One even wanted to get a team photo for herself. The best part was the walk back through the peat beds. Lots of clams had their necks exposed. A sea lemon and a purple Pisaster were found. Eventually we ended up at the starting point and then to home.