Cavalero Beach - June 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.

Cavalero Beach 2010
This monitoring team worked very hard to find critters in and under the green seaweed covering most of the beach. Their species list when completed was impressive.

Team 2010 Team 2010

Green seaweed Green seaweed

Lowest point Lowest point

Careful looking! Careful looking!

Special thanks to the leader of this team, Cathy M. who also has done the huge work of putting all the species data into the database.

Cavalero Beach, June 23, 2009

Beth & Pete Investigating Beth & Pete Investigating

Monitoring Team Monitoring Team

All rocks are unique All rocks are unique

Lowest pt of tide - clay Lowest pt of tide - clay

quadrats in seaweed quadrats in seaweed

Using the Ez-Id Guide 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.

..Haliplanella lineata.. Lined anemone Haliplanella lineata 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.

Cavalero Beach - July 1, 2008

Cavalero quadrat

Handheld recording

Inspecting line area

An enthusiastic group of 15 Beach Watchers and guest volunteer, Bill B., gathered at 8:00 am on the first day of July at Cavalero Beach to perform Intertidal Monitoring. It was a pleasant dry day with temperatures in the mid 60s. The group led by Cathy surveyed a single profile line with 21 segments out to -3.3 feet low tide level, layed-out and evaluated nine quadrats, and identified 35 species. Two handhelds were also employed supplementing hard copy data recording.

Similar to last year, the beach substrate lacked ground shell and clay/silt earthen materials. Marine organism variety and abundance was up from the 2007 levels, where only 16 species were identified. This year, the levels were similar to that found in the years 2004 thru 2006.

New information collected in the profile line this year for tracking of certain invertebrate allowed us to determine that the main species for barnacles was Balanus (segments 4-21), for crabs was Hemigrapsus (segments 6-21) and for snails was Littorina (segments 5 to 14) and Nucella (segments 14-21).

Invertebrates found included amphipods, anemones, arachnid, barnacles, crabs, fish, isopods, limpets, mussels, polychaete, ribbon worms, snails, and bald eagles. In addition to green, red and brown seaweed the true plant dunegrass (Elymus mollis) was also found. To the enjoyment of the monitors an

Sculpin

Eggs under rock

8 inch Sculpin (Oligocottus maculosus) was found under a rock with eggs attached to the bottom of the rock.

We ended a successful monitoring event with a group photo and a picnic in the Park.

Cavalero Team

Written by Cathy M. Thanks Cathy for all your hard work with the handhelds.