Monthly Archives: March 2012

Seawater Data: Daily-March 2012

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Daily Seawater Temperature and Density Record Shore Station
Time Zone: PDT
Station Race  Rocks  Lightstation
Month: _____________ March Year: 2012
Observer: Pearson College UWC
Date Time Sea
Temp.
°C		 Jar
Temp.
°C		 Hydro-  meter   No. Observed Density
1 N/A 10,802
2 8AM 7.0 7.0 10,802 242.0000
3 8:30AM 7.0 7.0 10,802 244.0000
4 8:45AM 7.4 7.4 10,802 239.0000
5 12PM 7.5 7.5 10,802 240.0000
6 N/A 10,802
7 10:20AM 6.8 7.3 10,802 240.0000
8 1PM 7.1 7.5 10,802 242.0000
9 1:30PM 7.1 7.6 10,802 244.0000
10 6:30PM 7.0 7.5 10,802 246.0000
11 6PM 6.9 7.4 10,802 248.0000
12 6:30PM 6.8 7.3 10,802 248.0000
13 7AM 6.6 6.6 10,802 246.0000
14 N/A 10,802
15 8AM 7.4 7.4 10,802 239.0000
16 7AM 7.1 7.1 10,802 231.0000
17 8:15AM 7.5 7.5 10,802 231.0000
18 9AM 7.0 7.0 10,802 241.0000
19 1:15PM 7.0 7.0 10,802 240.0000
20 12:30PM 7.0 7.0 10,802 241.0000
21 N/A 10,802
22 7PM 7.5 7.5 10,802 238.0000
23 6:15PM 7.1 7.6 10,802 240.0000
24 5PM 7.5 8.0 10,802 242.0000
25 7PM 7.5 7.9 10,802 239.0000
26 6:30PM 7.5 7.9 10,802 240.0000
27 8PM 7.4 8.0 10,802 240.0000
28 6:30AM 7.1 7.5 10,802 239.0000
29 6:30AM 7.1 7.6 10,802 240.0000
30 10AM 6.7 7.1 10,802 238.0000
31 12AM 7.0 7.4 10,802 238.0000
Mean* 7.1 7.4 240.5926
Recorded by Race Rocks Marine Protected Area Guardian

Marine Traffic and Blasting

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Marine traffic in the reserve has increased over the last 2 weeks with vessels in the reserve almost on a daily basis now.  For the most part they respect the DFO’s requested speed limit of less than 7 knots within 400 meters of the rocks.  It appears that the requested marine mammal viewing distance of at least 100 meters generally does not hold much weight, though it is sometimes challenging to judge distances.   There aren’t very many sea lions yet so less incentive to get very close.  While there is a juvenile elephant seal learning to swim in the reserve we are being extra cautious about boat traffic.

Personal Watercrafts in the reserve

Saturday, March 24: 4 vessels including 1 private, 1 ecotour and 2 personal water crafts (PWCs).  The PWCs came into the reserve around 1600 well in excess of the 7 knot speed limit creating a lot of noise and causing the sea lion on the South islands to exit the rocks for the water.  These vessels generally do not carry radios (or if they do they wouldn’t be able to hear them anyway), their ID is next to impossible to see, and they likely are not aware of DFO guidelines.

Monday, appear to be within 100 meters of elephant seals on middle rock

Sunday, March 25: 3 vessels including 2 eco tour, 1 private.  The ecotour vessel Constance operated by Prince of Whales exited the reserve Sunday afternoon from the South side of the island.  They appeared to accelerate beyond 7 knots within 400 meters of Great Race.  I established radio contact with them on marine VHF channel 79 to let them know and request that they follow the DFO’s guidelines.  The vessel operator believed he been beyond 400 m, I appreciated their cooperation.

Monday, March 26: 5 ecotour vessels.

Tuesday, March 27: Strong E wind and swell, no vessels.  DND raised their red flags to signal blasting.  I went off island to take the station whaler in for maintenance and repairs so did not record any blasts.

Thursday, again, appear to be within 100 meters of elephant seals on middle rock

Wednesday, March 28: 3 ecotour vessels including one I haven’t seen before, the King Salmon operated by Great Pacific Adventures.  This was the loudest and most polluting diesel vessel i have seen in the reserve, I could smell it on Great Race and it left a haze behind it.  DND blasts recorded at 1004 (heavy), 1009 (medium), 1018 (light).

Thursday, March 29: 2 ecotour vessels.

Friday, March 30: 3 ecotour vessels including one called the Jin Jang I haven’t seen before.

Bird and Mammal Count

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At least 8 orcas passed by Race Rocks Sunday morning

For Sunday March 25:

Black Oyster Catcher (Haematopus bachmani): 7 pairs

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis): 3

Surfbirds (Aphriza virgata): 100+

Cormorants (Phalacrocorax penicilatu, P. pelagicus, and/or P.auritas): 200+

Gulls (mostly Larus glaucescens): 230+

Pigeon Guillemots (Cepphus columba): 30+

Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus): 5

Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina) : 30+ S islands

Northern Sea Lions (Eumetopisa jubatus): 14 S islands, 1 Middle Rocks

Elephant Seals (Mirounga angustirostris): 3 Middle Rocks, 1 Great Race

Orcas (Orcinus orca): 8 in the morning going E between S Islands and Rosedale Reef Buoy

Students at Race Rocks

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On Friday afternoon Erik brought out 7 students as well as Natasha and Julien to Race Rocks to stay for the weekend.
The students helped with several projects on Saturday afternoon including:

-cleaning solar panels;

-completing the building of compost containers;

-edging the edges of pathways;

-cleaning and sealing conduit boxes to camera 5;

-assessing electronic devices;

-moving a propane tank;

-topping up heating fuel, and

-moving the dugout canoe.

On Sunday Chris came out around noon with Jane and 3 kids to pickup the group and return them to campus.  Thanks to everyone for a great weekend and for all the help.

We have had clear skies, a brief 20 knot NE Sat morning but fairly calm for the rest.

Squall takes the plunge!

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This morning was the first time that I have seen Squall take to the sea.  While i didn’t actually seen her in the water I saw her coming up the boat ramp clearly wet after having been in the water.   It may be that she has gone in the ocean previously at night or when I wasn’t around but this is the first time I have even seen her near the boat ramp, which, with its gentle smooth slope, is the preferred haul out for elephant seals on the island.  Maybe it is just a coincidence but this morning we also reached the highest barometric pressure (115 hPa) that we have had in almost 2 weeks. She will be 10 weeks old tomorrow.

The female elephant seal tagged 5086/4665 left the boat ramp area on Tuesday.  6355 is still in the south bay.

On Monday Erik brought out 3 students to the island who stayed overnight and returned the following day.  Today a group of 9 will be coming out the island for the weekend.

Elephant Seals, Divers

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On Wednesday afternoon the elephant seal with double green tags 5086/4665 hauled out again on the boat ramp and has remained around the jetty for the past days.  Today I noticed another elephant seal in the South bay with green tag # 6355.  This appears to be the same one that Mike reported in early January. 

Squall has been over by the fog signal the past two days but made her way back towards the flagpole at sunset today.  According to Pam, Squall turned 9 weeks old today.

Today there were two vessels in the reserve. In the morning Pinnacle Scuba Adventures (they have a video with some nice underwater shots on their site) brought a group out and dove near the jetty.  They paid a visit to the underwater camera and gave the lens a wipe, thanks!

In the afternoon a Prince of Whales ecotour vessel visited the reserve while the current was ebbing into a +25 knot W wind, looked like a bumpy wet ride.

 

Arctonoe pulchra

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rmscaleworm011-11-18 at 5.00.26 PM

Photo by ryan Murphy

 

rmscaleworm2012-03-26 at 11.39.25 AM

Ryan Murphy took these images of this scale worm in a commensal relationship with sea star.

This set of images taken by Ryan Murphy shows one of the more delicate of the Polynoidae, or scale worms. Divers  often find scale worms on the underside of Sea stars and sea cucumbers at Race Rocks. This has not been positively identified but it could be one of the two of three species in the Genus Hololepida. 

The following classification is based on that of the Animal Diversity Web:

Kingdom Animalia
 Phylum Annelida
Class Polychaeta
Order Aciculata
Family  Polynoidae
Genus Hololepida
There are two possible species :
Species: australis
or Species : veleronis
Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomy Index
The Taxonomy files are the result of collaboration between students, faculty, staff and Volunteers of Lester Pearson College— Garry Fletcher,

Phalaropus fulicarius:red phalarope–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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This is the first image taken of this species at Race Rocks  March 2012

 

 

I was on the docks at Race Rocks when I saw this small phalarope which I thought was the red-necked version. A viewer pointed out that it had a grey back and a thick bill. Therefore it is the “Red” phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius. It turns out that all the others we have seen in that same area by the docks in the past have been the red phalarope,  Phalaropus lobatus  which have a brown marked back  This is their winter non-breeding plumage so none of the colourful plumage of the breeding season shows up.  (Garry Fletcher)

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Scolopacidae
Genus Phalaropus
Species fulicarius Linnaeus 1758
Common Name: Red Phalarope
Garry Fletcher

Stormy, Misery gone, Surfbirds

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Early Monday morning there were strong winds SE and again this morning, over 40 knots. Yesterday there was periods of snowfall blowing in from the West.  Pressure falling, more wind expected tonight.

Misery left the main island on Friday evening, I have not seen or heard any sign of him since.  I suspect he might be gone for the season.

Surfbirds

Since the stormy weather Monday I have not seen either of the moulting female elephant seals.  Since Misery left Squall has been more active.  She has been moving around the island more and doing tail biting exercises.   She is attracted to puddles and has gone down to the crane deck a few times and seems curious about the ocean.  I have still not seen her approach the water though.

On Sunday there was a large flock (+150) of Surfbirds (Aphriza virgata) and maybe a few Black Turnstones (Arenaria melanocephala) in the East bay.

On Tuesday one eco tour vessel entered the reserve.

Have been working on a new compost containing system lately, have poured 6 concrete footings/anchors over the past few days.  On Monday did maintenance on the fire pump.