Category Archives: Archived Video

Sea pen: Ptilosarcus gurneyi-The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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(Ed Note: The scientific name at the start of the video is not correct.) The sea pen, Ptilosarcus gurneyi, is a colonial cnidarian in the same class as the anemone, the anthozoa. One polyp has been modified to form the body,  while the fringes of the “feather” contain numerous small feeding polyps. Typically we find it living in a mud/sand substrate. It is rare around Race Rocks. The only population we have found is this one with a few individuals occurring at 15 metres on the North-West corner of Great Race Island. Note the small burrowing tubeworms in the mud around the organism. This specimen was videoed by Wynne Lawrence and Jean-Olivier Dalphond, both students at the Lester B. Pearson College.

General Description:

The sea pen, Ptilosarcus gurneyi, is a colonial cnidaria in the same class as the anemone, the anthozoa. One polyp has been modified to form the body while the fringes of the “feather” contain numerous small feeding polyps.

Habital:

Sea pens are marine organisms: typically they are found living in a mud/sand substrate at least 3 inches (7.6 cm) deep. It is rare around Race Rocks, with a few individuals occuring on the North-West corner of Great Race Island. Note the small burrowing tubeworms in the mud around the organism.

Feeding:

The polyps feed on detritus, zooplankton (baby artemia), and possibly (according to The Reef Aquarium Vol. Two) phytoplankton.You should offer your Sea Pen Artemia nauplii, Daphnia, pulverized flake food, and detritus stirred up from the bottom of the tank.

Predator:

Predators of the sea pen are two nudibranchs, one the very large 3 inches(7cm) nudibranch, Armina californica and the other Mediaster aequalis, Rose Star Crossaster papposus and the Leather Star Dermasterras imbriacata.

Reproduction:

We don’t know the reproduction of sea pens whether by sexual or asexual means.

References:
http://www.fishroom.com/library/seapen.html
http://www.lanecc.edu/science/zonation/seapen.htm

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa
Subclass: Octocorallia
Order: Pennatulacea Verrill, 1865
Suborder :Subsessiliflorae
Family :Pennatulidae Ehrenberg, 1834
Genus:Ptilosarcus
species:gurneyi
(Ptilosarcus gurneyi)
Common name: orange sea pen

Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image Gallery

Other Members of the Class Anthozoa 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. 

Original: Dec 2002, Joshua Columbus ( Burma) year PC yr 29).  

additions by G.Fletcher 2018

 

Tidal Cycle at Race Rocks Video

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 This clip was produced on 8.11.2002. As Race Rocks Marine Protected Area is a place where large (3 meter) tidal range occurs, it is a good location to observe the raising and lowering of the water . A rock in Race Passage near the West shore of Great Race Rock was chosen and a camera was installed in front of the window of the research room in the Marine Science Centre. Video clips were taken for 15 seconds every hour of daylight, high tide occurred during noontime. The second part of the clip shows the tide going in fast motion, a day at the rock passes in 25 seconds.” Jeremias Prassti, ( PC yr 28)

From Victoria Tide tables for this date.. 8.11.2002. :

time… tidal height (ft)………….(meters)
0910 …………………..8.9……………..2.7
1100………………….. 8.5……………..2.6
1445………………….. 9.2……………..2.8
2345………………….. 1.0………………0.3

PROJECT IDEA:
1. On graph paper, using the data above, plot the tidal variation for the day. Then pause the video on each of the levels, measure the height of an exposed piece of the rock and then plot it on the graph. In this way you should be able to determine the elevation of the top of the rock.

2. Link to the physical factor page for Race Rocks – Go to the Tidal calculator links available and compare the shape of the graph for November 8, 2002 with the graph you have made here

Sea lion Behaviour after DND Blasting at Bentinck Island

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Two videos are presented here showing the effect of DND blasting on Bentinck Island on the sea lions at Race Rocks. The first is from October 7 and the second was done by student s on the project week on  November 8, 2002, (not Oct 7 as stated in this draft version of the video) . The students from Lester Pearson College who were out for a project week were able to catch the images of the impact of these blasts on the first day from the science centre window and on the second day from the top of the light tower. In the tower, they interviewed Mike Demarchi of LGL who is currently doing a $50,000 contract for the Department of National Defence to monitor the impact of these blasts and to compare them with other disturbances at Race Rocks.

See also before and after images of effects of blasting on sea lion behaviour

 

See the index of Human Effects on Animal Behaviour at Race Rocks

The following pictures were taken on November 7,2002 from the site zap camera at Race Rocks. The top set of pictures was taken at 9:30 AM . The DND started blasting at 11:00 . The bottom set of pictures were taken at 12:00 noon, after 5 blasts when most of the sealions had jumped off the rocks, They remained off the rocks mid afternoon.

Image from before a blast
and then the Image from after the blast

DND Blasting disturbs sea lions.

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On November 7, 2002, the DND were still doing their demolition blasting exercises at Bentinck Island. (not Oct 7 as stated in this draft version of the video) The students from Lester Pearson College who were out for a project week were able to catch the images of the impact of these blasts on the first day from the science centre window and on the second day from the top of the light tower. In the tower, they interviewed Mike Demarchi of LGL who is currently doing a $50,000 contract for the Department of National Defence to monitor the impact of these blasts and to compare them with other disturbances at Race Rocks. (Click on audio icon below) Click the arrow on the left in the bar below for
THE INTERVIEW WITH MIKE DEMARCHI
by Jeremias Prassl (LBPC yr29)


Before and After images of DND Blasting effects

You may see the complete report here. Note in particular, the discussion of the results concerning the effects of blasting on the behaviour of sea lions.

Daily Duties at Race Rocks for students

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This video was produced in 2002 when Mike and Carol Slater were ecoguardians at Race Rocks . When students would go out for a project week, after training from Mike, they would be responsible for the daily duties at Race Rocks.  This was before the era of alternate energy at Race Rocks and the upgrading of many of the weather measurements, so is now somewhat of a recording of history.

Written, and video by Rosie, Ahmad, and Jeremias.:

“During our project week at Race Rocks, Mike Slater, the Race Rocks Marine Protected Area Guardian asked us if we could make a video explaining the daily duties necessary to maintain the facility. Students who are relieving on the island during Mike’s absence will be able to use this data as a guide for performing their duties, as well as providing a useful information resource for students visiting the island.

These duties include two daily engine checks, a salinity check one hour before high tide, and keeping a record of the days weather, as well as explaining the functions and instructions for testing machinery located on the island.”

 

Interview with Taco Niet on Alternative Energy for Race Rocks

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In 2002, Taco Niet finished his Masters degree in the Engineering Department’s Institute for Integrated Energy Systems at the University of Victoria (IESVic). In this clip, Garry interviews Taco about his research on renewable energy systems for Race Rocks. Great resources are available out there such as wind, solar and tidal energy. In order to conserve the natural aspect of the island, while reducing the use of Diesel fuel, many challenges arise. Taco considers the project can be integrated nicely with the racerocks.com project in order to be widely accessible on the internet and serve as a model for monitoring and comparing energy generation.

Interview with Taco Niet on the Prospects of Alternative Energy for Race Rocks

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In 2002, Taco Niet finished his Masters degree in the Engineering Department’s Institute for Integrated Energy Systems at the University of Victoria (IESVic). In this clip, Garry interviews Taco about his research on renewable energy systems for Race Rocks. Great resources are available out there such as wind, solar and tidal energy. In order to conserve the natural aspect of the island, while reducing the use of Diesel fuel, many challenges arise. Taco considers the project can be integrated nicely with the racerocks.com project in order to be widely accessible on the internet and serve as a model for monitoring and comparing energy generation

.Link to other information on the energy supply
for Race Rocks
Return to Education and Research Archives Videos

Effect of DND Blasting on Bentinck Island on Sea lion Behaviour at Race Rocks

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This video was made on October 7, 2002 in order to document the effect of the Department of National Defence demolition exercises on Bentinck Island on the behaviour of birds and marine mammals at Race Rocks MPA. In previous years we have observed considerable disruption by military exercises involving blasting on nearby Bentinck Island in the fall just after the sea lions have returned to the island. We have requested that blasts be spread out over a longer period of time during an exercise. Traditionally blasts have come in a series of three. The first one would alert the sea lions, the second would send a few in the water and the third would clear the islands. This year on this one occasion, only two blasts were held at five minutes apart. The results are shown in the video.

See the index of the effects of human activities on marine life at Race Rocks

Hydrocoral at Race Rocks and Alberto Lindner

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Alberto Lindner is studying the systematics and evolution of hydrocorals using morphological and molecular biology methods for his Ph.D. thesis. He visited Race Rocks in the summer of 2002. The occurrence of hydrocoral in the low intertidal zone is an unusual occurrence on the Pacific West Coast and Alberto is aiming to help us in the identification of the different colored clones of the animal. His supervisor and advisors are Dr. Stephen Cairns (Smithsonian) , Dr.Cliff Cunningham ( Duke University) and Dr. Dale Calder (Royal Ontario Museum) This is part of a program of training young zoologists in established and new methods of systematics Alberto comes from Brazil, having completed a Master’s degree in the University of São Paulo.

Alberto was introduced to us by Dr. Anita Brinkmann-Voss

See  Hydrocorals in The Race Rock Taxonomy

After returning to his lab and doing further analysis, Alberto reported that “It is pretty safe to say that the purple and pink color morphs of Stylaster corals (Allopora) from Race Rocks are the same species”. He has also noted the same result with deep-sea species from the Aleutians, as the orange and pink forms there do not separate the species.

Link to Alberto’s website.

Westmont Montessori Class Visits Race Rocks as part of our Schools Project

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In June, 2002 the grade six students of Nadine Cruikshank’s class at Westmont Montessori school in Metchosin came out to Race Rocks to participate in a live webcast. Pearson College students Ben, Joe, Kiprop and former student Ryan who were staying at Race Rocks for the Johan Asuvud Race Rocks 2002 Project introduce them to the ecology and the history of Race Rocks. (17 minutes)