South Whidbey State Park - April 27, 2009

Team Photo South Whidbey State Park 2009

Onchidoris with eggs

A team was also hard at work at South Whidbey State Park on April 27th. Team captain Libby Haywood reports that her enthusiastic group identified barnacle eating nudibranchs and their egg ribbons, hermit crabs, and they found four species of barnacles on a massive erratic that was also home to quite a variety of seaweeds. Charlie Seablom got photos of a dark colored 1 cm long invertebrate believed to be either Melanochlymus or the very similar appearing Aglaja, both of which are nudibranch relatives. The team rotated jobs, giving everyone a turn at taking measurements, recording data, and working on quadrats.

Crescent Harbor - April 27, 2009

Tonicella sp

Crescent Harbor monitoring team photo 2009

Evasterias troschelii

The Crescent Harbor team enjoyed warm temperatures, sunny skies, and a -3 foot tide on April 27th. The team was made up of just four members but they worked at a steady pace and made it to the waters edge at just the right moment, as the tide dropped to its lowest point. Jean Allen enjoyed being back on the beach and made some great finds. She was the first to spot barnacle eating nudibranchs with their egg masses. Mottled sea stars (Evasterias troschelii), lined chitons (Tonicella lineata),and gunnel eels made the day’s highlight list as did a pair of river otters that hauled out nearby on a partially submerged erratic.

Ala Spit - April 26, 2009

Dungeness 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.

Pratt's Bluff - April 26, 2009

Pycnopodia

Pratt's Bluff team photo 2009

Aeolidia papillosa

Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis

The third beach monitored on April 26th was Pratts Bluff with Finn Gatewood at the helm. Finn and her team were delighted by the sunny weather. Kathy Fritts and Ingri Johnson both listed the discovery of a shaggy mouse nudibranch on their list of highlights. Virginia Allen liked the green sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) and Charlie Seablom stayed busy snapping photos of the sunflower stars (Pycnapodia helianthoides).

Ledgewood Beach - April 26, 2009

Anthopleura artemisia

Caprellid amphipod

Gobiesox meandricus

Jan Holmes had a team of five at Ledgewood on April 26th. They found that someone had added large boulders around their start point in an attempt to prevent beach erosion and so the team decided the best course of action would be to move the start point and profile line. Brand new Beach Watcher Heather Pentz was along on her first beach monitoring experience and was fascinated by everything she found. Liz Berg liked the moonglow anemones (Anthopleura artemisia) that dotted the beach. The group also found northern clingfish (Gobiesox maeandricus), caprellid amphipods, and lots of Lacuna snail egg clusters.