Monthly Archives: January 2002

Light snow

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Tuesday, January 29, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 2.5C Min. 0.0C Reset 1.1C Rain 3.0 mm — Snow 2.0 cm Total Precipitation 5.0 mm
MARINE LIFE: 14 Bald Eagles -all mature- arrived as usual early a.m. but gradually left as the weather deteriorated in the late morning.The snow showers were heavy enough at times to activate the fog horn, however the ground was too warm for the snow to accumulate.5 mature eagles returned as the weather cleared and stayed for most of the afternoon.
HUMAN INTERACTION: at 1:25 pm 1 tour boat came through the reserve.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:06 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Overcast Vis. 1 1/2 Miles – Light Snow  Wind North East 5 Knots  Sea Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:42 AM

Elephant seal (probably Slash) comes to Race Rocks

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Friday, January 25, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 6.9C Min. 1.9C  Reset 3.8C Rain 25.8 mm
MARINE LIFE: This morning we had a special visitor hauled out just below the boat house and although he did not stay long enough to get a video camera organized we hope the 35m photos turn out ok. The adult male Northern Elephant seals seen lately atop middle rock look quite big from a distance but up close it’s amazing! In the early morning before daylight we heard an elephant seal vocalizing and it sounded very close by,turns out he was very close! Over the 12 years we have been here quite a few juvenile elephant seals have hauled out along the boat ramp, some have even made their way half way across the island but never before has one this size come ashore. This fellow has a very dark brown coat and estimate his length 13-15 feet and weighing at least 3000lbs. Although he was not afraid of us he was very wary and gave us a few ‘bellows’ as we inched towards the tank room to get the video camera-unfortunately he decided to amble down the ramp and back out to sea, it was great to see him so close.There were 11 (8 mature) Bald Eagles today but they left the area when a weather system roared in from the west about 2:30. The horizontal hail only lasted 30 minutes and the wind let up in about an hour but the great birds did not return.There was no blasting as had been scheduled.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:05 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis.15 Miles  Wind West 30 G Knots Sea 5 Foot Moderate – Low South West Swell
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:28 AM

Sealions disturbed by DND blasting

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Thursday, January 24, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 8.9C Min. 5.9C  Reset 5.9C  Rain 8.2 mm
MARINE LIFE: Today we monitored the scheduled detonations at the D.N.D. site on Bentinck Island. There were three sets of blasts,each consisting of two detonations separated by about 2 minutes.The first blast at 10:54 sent the gulls,cormorants into the air and alerted the sealions hauled out on the middle rock.About 20 animals moved towards the water then the second blast went off and caused a stampede of all the hauled out sealions. The birds as usual settled back down in a minute or two. Very gradually a few at a time, 10-15 sealions returned to the haul out areas.The Elephant Seals raised their heads and looked around but did not move away.The Second set of blasts at 11:53 and 11:55 cleared Middle Rock of sealions and also sent 40-45 Harbour Seals hauled out on the western slopes of the Southeast Rocks scrambling into the water. The Last 2 blasts( 12:48 and 12:50 ) sent the 5 sealions that hauled out again about 20 minutes after the 11:55, back into the water. Do not know the size of the detonations but they shook the cameras and most of the pictures on the walls.There are more blasts scheduled for tomorrow.There were 7 Bald Eagles – 4 mature.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:21 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Overcast �� Vis. 15 Miles �� Wind South West 17 Knots �� Sea 2 Foot Chop – Low West Swell
posted by Carol or Mike S at 8:13 AM

3 day summary

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Wednesday, January 23, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 7.7C Min. 4.9C  Reset 7.7C  Rain 3.4 mm
MARINE LIFE: 7 (5 mature) Bald Eagles.Group of 22-24 Black Oyster Catchers were around most of the day and at times paired off and spent 45-60 minutes along the shore near traditional nesting areas.Saw 5 Harlequin Ducks, all male, in the east bay area.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 2nd Nature in with several guests and 1 tour boat.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:05 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Overcast  Vis. 15 Miles Wind East 9 Knots  Sea 1 Foot Chop
posted by Carol or Mike S at 10:14 AM
Tuesday, January 22, 2002
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Overcast Vis. 15 Miles Wind West 23 Knots Sea 3 Foot Moderate – Low South West Swell
MARINE LIFE: 9 Bald Eagles (5 mature) today. 24 Black Oyster Catchers spent most of the day along the south shore of Gr. Race and at times paired off and spent 1/2 hour or so in nesting areas.Saw 4 male and 2 female Harlequin Ducks in the East bay area early afternoon.
HUMAN INTERACTION:2nd Nature in with Angus,Garry,Chris and Guests approx.2:30pm
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:33 AM
Monday, January 21, 2002
Good Evevening
TEMPERATUER: Max. 6.C  Min. 2.2C  Reset 3.7C  Rain 2.0 mm
MARINE LIFE:6 (4 mature) Bald Eagles today. Very stormy all morning with a series of squalls coming in from the west,by 2 pm the wind decreased to 12 knts and we enjoyed some sunshine.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:09 PM

students to RR

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Saturday, January 19, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 6.5C Min. 4.4C Reset 6.0C  Rain 6.4 mm
MARINE LIFE: there were 7 (5 mature) Bald Eagles today.
HUMAN INTERACTION:2nd Nature arrived 10:30 – Chris brought a group of students over to do some cleaning etc. on the specimen tank.Mike and I left the station in good hands and made a quick trip in the boston whaler to the corner store, mmmm fresh fruit and milk.We returned just as Chris was picking students up for return to campus at 4:30.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:06 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy Vis. 15 Miles  Wind West 17 Knots  Sea 2 -3 Foot Chop
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:55 AM

Blasting continues

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Friday, January 18, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 5.7C  Min. 3.8C  Reset 4.7C  Rain 3.6 mm
MARINE LIFE: At 8:30 there were only 75-80 sealions hauled out on middle rock, not all the animals have returned since the blasting yesterday.The first blast at 9:58 alerted all the sealions and 20-25 went into the water,the second blast 2-3 minutes later sent all but 6 animals scrambling into the sea.The last blast at approx. 10:25 sent 12 of the 20 sealions that had hauled out after the 10:01 blast, back into the water.There will be blasting exercises again next week on the 24th and 25th.There were 11 (7 mature ) Bald Eagles today.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:03 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER : Sky Overcast Vis. 15 Miles Very Light Rain Wind North 8 Knots Sea Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 8:07 AM

Blasting disturbs birds and sealions

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Thursday, January 17, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 6.1C  Min. 2.7C Reset 4.7C
MARINE LIFE:At 8:30 there were 150-170 Sealions, 2 large bull and 1 smaller Elephant Seals on Middle rock. With the first blast at 11:10 the gulls and cormorants took flight, most of the sealions were alerted and some went into the water. When the second blast went off 2 minutes after the first, the sealions scrambled over each other in a rush to get to the water.The elephant seals although alerted (raised their heads and looked around ) did not move off their spots. With each blast the eagles,gulls and cormorants all took flight but within 1 or 2 minutes settled back down. During the hour between blast series 10 to 15 sealions hauled out again but appeared to be somewhat ‘edgy’ and were much quicker to move into the water when the blasting occured again.There were 14-7 mature Bald Eagles in the M.P.A. today.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:11 PM
The smoke, some of it coloured that can be seen at times in camera one is coming from the D.N.D. property,there may at times be blasting sounds. These exercises will continue until friday afternoon.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 9:53 AM

Pandalus danae: Coonstripe shrimp –The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Ryan Murphy took the pictures on this page and followed up in getting the identifications sorted out between this shrimp and Pandalus stenoplepsis and verification from Greg Jensen of the University of Washigton.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The coonstripe shrimp has large eyes, a thick shell and a surface finely pitted. The color of the shrimp is transparent, milky, and has irregular stripes and spots of chocolate brown all over the body, including its antennae. The antennae are long and heavily banded. Total length of the male shrimps can become about 123mm and the females about 140mm.

HABITAT

As one of the common names suggests, the dock shrimp is often living on or by wooden wharves, in shallow water bays and inlets. The coonstripe shrimp ranges from Alaska to central California.

FEEDING

The diet of the shrimp consists mainly of amphipods, mysids and polychaete worms.

PREDATORS

Lingcods are the main predators, except for humans who exploit the shrimp in the prawn industry.

REPRODUCTION

The shrimp lives about three years. Each of the shrimps starts the life cycle as male and the first fall, breeds come. By the time the shrimp has reached its second spring, the shrimp becomes a female and breeds come fall. After that happens as a female the shrimp holds the fertilized eggs until the hatching come spring.

REFERENCES

Links:
http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/english/programs/fhiip/species/coonstrp.htm

References:
A Bibliography of Shrimps of the Family Pandalidae by J.C. Scrivener
Shrimps of the Pacific Coast of Canada by T.H. Butler
Pacific Coast Crabs and Shrimps by Gregory C. Jensen

Other Members of the Phylum Arthropoda at Race Rocks.

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

This file was originally written by Anna Ihle Thingnaes,  Pearson College student year 28 in January 2002

 

Phyllolithodes papillosus: Heart Crab –The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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The Heart Crab – Phyllolithodes papillosusGeneral Description:

This very distinct crab is most commonly identified by the heart shaped markings on its back, hence his common name, the Heart Crab. This triangular carapace measures from 50X60mm (female) to 90X90mm (male), and is coloured a muddy greenish brown with dark red ridges. The claws, legs and carapace are covered in prickly spines, which helps to camouflage and as a defense mechanism. The Heart Crab has three pairs of walking legs coloured dark brown and a pair of chelipeds that are dark brown with turquoise bumps. Another distinction that is evident on the Heart Crab is the two blunt horns above his eyes and a large spine between them.
Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animal
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Malacostraca
Order Decapoda
Family Lithodidae
Genus Phyllolithodes
Species papillosus
Common Name: Heart Crab
Habitat and Range:

The Heart Crab is rarely sighted in the open nor do they inhabit the intertidal zone, instead they prefer to live subtidally in a rocky habitat, hiding in crevices with moderate exposure and strong currents. They range along the Pacific coast of North America from Alaska to California inhabiting areas as deep as 183m.

Predators and Prey:

The main predator of the Heart Crab is the octopus, and the main prey of heart crabs are sponges and sea urchins, however they are observed eating other things in captivity.

Reproduction:

All mature female Heart Crabs undergo an obligate molt occuring in the spring, from March through May. At this time of molting female are held by the chelipeds of a male. After the molting is finished and the female’s exoskeleton has hardened, the couple copulate. During this a ribbon containing spermatophores is attached around the female. The fertilization occurs within hours, after this the male separates from the female. The female then incubates her eggs for almost twelve months. Eggs are layed in the late summer, August through September. Newly laid eggs are bright yellow, orange or dark red coloured which eventually dull to a muddy brown prior to hatching.

Biotic Association:

An interesting behavior observed of the Heart Crab is the form of symbiosis,commensalism, the association between two organisms when one organism benefits and the other is neither harmed nor benefited. After molting, the Heart Crab takes shelter under the tentacle canopy of the snakelock anemone, as he is not harmed by this and the crab is protected,
References:Accessed Jan.25, 2001

http://oceanlink.island.net/oinfo/biodiversity/heartcrab.html

http://www3.bc.sypatico.ca/kerryw/creature/heart.htm

http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/kodiak/photo/triangle.htm

 

Other Members of the Phylum Arthropoda at Race Rocks 
taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

Cait Caines–year 28(PC)

22 Bloys

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Tuesday, January 15, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 6.5C Min. 2.1C  Reset 5.4C
MARINE LIFE: 14 Bald Eagles today -5 mature. There are still many hundreds of sea birds feeding although much farther out from the reserve.A group of 22 Black Oyster Catchers spent most of the day along the south shore of Gr. Race.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 1 Sailboat, 1 Pleasure craft ( 2 divers )and 1 Charter -‘Discovery Launch’ through the M.P.A.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:10 PM