Old Clinton Beach

Old Clinton Beach team photo 2010 Old Clinton Beach team photo 2010

Checking salinity Checking salinity

Profile reading Profile reading

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

Recording data Recording data

..Littorina scutulata.. Checkered periwinkle Checkered periwinkle Checkered periwinkle

..Hermissenda crassicornis.. Opalescent nudibranch Opalescent nudibranch Opalescent nudibranch

..Phyllaplysia taylori.. Eelgrass sea slug/Taylor's sea hare Eelgrass sea slug Eelgrass sea slug

It was an enthusiastic team of five that closed out Whidbey Island's 2010 monitoring season at Old Clinton Beach on August 10th with Virginia Allen at the helm. A thick layer of eelgrass blanketed the lower intertidal and the gung ho monitors carefully sorted through it in search of the small organisms that call this rich habitat home. They were rewarded with the discovery of three species of sea slugs (Phyllaplysia taylori-eelgrass sea slug, Hermissenda crassicornis-opalescent nudibranch, and Onchidoris bilamellata-barnacle eating nudibranch). They also saw quite a few eelgrass limpets (Lottia parallela) and at upper levels of the intertidal zone there were large numbers of little brown barnacles (Chthamalus dalli). With the tide dropping below the -2 foot level, the profile line at this beach extended 410 feet to the water’s edge. This beach is just down from Clinton's ferry landing so the team enjoyed watching the big boats coming and going as they worked. Topping it all off were flybys by pairs of great blue herons, bald eagles, and belted kingfishers.

Ledgewood Beach

Profiling Profiling

Ledgewood Beach Team Photo 2010 Ledgewood Beach Team Photo 2010

Species consultation Species consultation

..Gobiesox meandricus.. Northern clingfish Gobiesox Gobiesox

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

..Amphipholis sp... Dwarf brittle star Amphipholis sp. Amphipholis sp.

Six Beach Watchers and one neighborhood resident showed up to check out the beach at Ledgewood on the nifty singular date that can be written out as 8/9/10. Three species of seastars were found (mottled, sunflower, and purple) and one species of brittle star (Amphiphois sp.). This was the first time several of the team members had seen a live brittle star so they were quite thrilled by that discovery. A close look at the mottled seastar (Evasterias troschelli) revealed that it packed along a commensal scaleworm. The team also encountered hundreds of tiny Lacuna snails. While Lacuna snails are generally less than a cm. tall, a vast majority of those found at Ledgewood were so small as to be barely discernable as snails. Each of the six quadrats at the +1 foot and 0 tide levels had almost 100% coverage by Ulva sp. To top off the morning, two great blue herons flew past the profile area and loon call was heard.

Possession Point

..Upogebia pugettensis.. Blue Mud Shrimp Upogebia Upogebia

Possession Point Team Photo 2010 Possession Point Team Photo 2010

..Melibe leonina.. Lion nudibranch Melibe leonina Melibe leonina

Three dedicated Beach Watchers took on Possesion Point on August 9th with Kathy Fritz heading up the team. Kathy reports that the beach had a lush growth of eelgrass and they made some interesting finds including Melibe, the lion nudibranch. This is a strange gelatenous looking organism that makes its home in kelp and eelgrass where it employs a hoodlike apparatus to capture amphipods and other small organisms, the hood functioning somewhat like a Venus flytrap. Another great find was that of a mud shrimp. Team members were rather startled when one of them was dive bombed by a sea gull that dropped a large butter clam on her!

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.