Category Archives: Ecological Monitoring

Tidepool # 8 at Race Rocks

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Pool # 8 is the small pool just visible at the bottom of this picture.

This pool is one of the most highly elevated pools in the peg six area of Race Rocks. It has a south-westerly aspect, is relatively shallow (its maximum depth being nine cms). It is also fairly small, having an area of just 0.36 square metres, and a perimeter of 0.39 metres.

At certain times of the year, pool # eight is literally packed with life! Within its confines we were able to locate filamentous diatoms (a brown-gold, highly productive microscopic organism), small barnacles, and red harpacticoids..

On the day of our observations (in late April 2000) we found that the surface temperature was 13.5 degrees Celsius and a temperature at the deepest point 11.0 degrees Celsius. At 5cm, we recorded a temperature of 12.0cm. This is what we would have expected, because the temperature is affected by the heating effect of the sun, and the water forms stratified layers of temperature. These temperatures will vary with the season and time of day. In this relatively small pool, one would expect a large temperature range which will create a large variation in the life-cycles within the pool, changing as the seasons change. For organisms with a longer life-cycle, it will be necessary to have the ability to adapt to a high temperature range.

As temperature decreased as the pool became deeper, we observed the opposite effect with regard to salininty. At the surface, for example, a salinity of 13.5 parts per thousand was recorded, and at the depths, a salinity of 16.5 parts per thousand was found. This is fairly typical of a small, brackish pool in the inter-tidal zone. This is another example of stratification and this variation creates differences in productivity and affect. So we could day that this small pool on this particular day had both a halocline and a thermocline.

(Adapted from a student’s lab write up, 2000)

Some ideas to consider:

Tidepools 7and 8 are very close together, varying only a few cm in elevation. The salinity and temperatures of the pools may vary however. It might be worthwhile to document these variations and propose some explanations for the variation.

Intertidal Invertebrates on the West shore of Great Race Rocks

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westshoreThe intertidal zone on the West side of Great Race Rocks as viewed and photographed on June 12, 1999 at a minus 0.1 tide. The predominant macroalgae is Hedophylum sp. although immature bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) is also anchored in this zone close to the shore. westisleThe small island on the North West corner is completely exposed at low tide but submerged at high tide. It contains a rich assortment of hydroids as well as other invertebrates where Dr. Anita Brinckmann-Voss has collected specimens at the zero tidal level.

 

Small pink dots of a Melobesia mediocris, a calcareous pink encrusting algae which grows as an epiphyte on the leaves of surf grass.phyllospadix

pinkgreenJust below the green fringe of surf grass, Phyllospadix scouleri, pink hydrocorals and other hydroid survive the current and wave swept zone.

abietinariaanthopThe hydroid Aglaophemia latirostris with an Intertidal Anemone. 

 

 

 

 

3anthopleuraOther Cnidarians such as the green anemone, Anthopleura xanthogrammica, are found in the low intertidal area. These large anemone with symbiotic algae are also found in the surge channel on the south-west corner. The knife placed in the picture for scale measures 10cm in length.

redblueurchGiant red urchins Strongylocentrotus franciscanis live here at the upper limits of their range and the purple urchin,  Strongylocentrotus purpuratus also inhabits a narrow band in this area.

handnubilusA giant barnacle, Balanus nubilus plays host to a colony of Symplectoscyphus turgidus  (formerly  Sertularella turgida) . Hydrocoral, (Allopora sp.) encrusts much of the substrate

gfcave2Two of the small caves at this level yield a variety of invertebrates. The ceilings of these caves usually support a variety of hydroids

rrpeg7caveThe floor of this cave on the south-west corner is covered with the red encrusting sponge,  Ophlitaspongia

purpleurchinHere on the small island, the purple urchins reside in a crevasse next to the mussle Mytilus californianus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tidepool work -Environmental Systems 1999

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Higher Level Biology field trip to Race Rocks-April 1999

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The Higher Level Biology students traditionally have done several field trips each year to Race Rocks. On this trip in April of 1999, each of the groups in the class were documenting the profile and the populations of organisms along transects they had chosen in the Intertidal Zone.

Abalone tagging at Race Rocks with Pearson College Divers

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In 1998, we began a long term research program, initiated by Dr. Scott Wallace, on the population dynamics of the Northern Abalone
(Haliotis kamtschatkana). For several years, the Pearson College divers monitored the population. In this video, Pearson College graduate Jim Palardy (PC yr.25) explains the process.

 

Transect Study- Environmental Systems Class peg-15

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PEG 15 TRANSECT
ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS CLASS

transect_gfApril 1998: For this Exercise, a section of gently sloping shoreline to the East of the Docks at Peg #15 was chosen.(large old original oil-barge docking post  This intertidal zone rock is exposed to the North West, but protected by the corner of Great Race Island projecting to the West. The transect was laid at a bearing of 285 degrees. Maximum exposure of the area occurs when the wind blows from the North East in the winter months. This work was done in April when the area experiences the first of the low tides in the early part of the day.

 

 

RoyalRoadstransectAlso see the images of the Royal Roads students working on peg 15 in the summer of 1999.

The following is the transect strip. It will take a few minutes to download the whole strip ..

The photos for the transect strips were taken in 8mm video by Sebastian and Garry after the class recorded the details of species distribution over the 50 cm strip, running perpendicular to the shoreline.

Images of the students were scanned from slides taken by Duane Prentice, a professional photographer who lives in Victoria and is an Alumni of Pearson College.. Images copyrighted, 1999 by Duane Prentice.

PEG 15 : PHOTO BELT TRANSECT
Bearing 285 degrees. This area has a fairly constant slope for the 12.5 meters over a vertical range of 3 meters.The photos, one half meter in length, were taken from a video at low tide, in APRIL 1998 by Garry and Sebastian.
Investigation: 1. Plot a profile of the shoreline given the information provided.2. Determine the percentage coverage of the different species of algae shown.3. The physical factors of the habitat of an algae living high in the intertidal zone like Porphyra changes with the seasons. In this area, our low tides occur in the daytime in the summer and in the night time during the winter. It would be revealing to compare the exposure during the daytime in February or March with the exposure in June. First determine from the profile drawn above, the range of tidal level where this species lives intertidal. Then go to the data page where you can access the Tidal Predictions for Race Rocks . From the tidal level profile for Victoria, you will be able to see a graph of the tide levels .Determine how many hours this Porphyra will be exposed to the air by recording the cumulative lengths of time that the water level does not go above the lower limit of the algae. If you do this for different times of the year, you will be able to quantify the time spent submerged or emmerged over a number of days. Be sure to take into account the time of the tidal cycle when choosing days to measure, because you will notice a two week pattern of Spring ( maximum range ) and Neap( minimum range) tides.

Based on your evidence, suggest a hypothesis that could explain why this algae disappears from this area for most of the summer.

BELT TRANSECT PHOTO

Distance in metres from peg 15 is at the bottom of the picture 
Comments and species identification follow the pictures

Notes: at 0.5 metres: This is the upper level just below peg15 The yellow lichen at the top by the peg is Xanthoria parietina
At 1.0 Metres : Life is very sparse in this high splash zone, although a prominent invertebrate that we find is the tiny red miteNeomolgus.sp.
At 2.0 metres: Life is very sparse in this high splash zone, although a prominent invertebrate that we find is the tiny red mite Neomolgus.sp
At 3.5 metres: A few barnacles are starting to appear in the moist crevices.
At 6.5 Metres :Barnacles almost totally cover this areas for several meters
At 8.0 metres: The sea lettuce, Ulva lactuca starts to appear.
At 9.5 metres: The brown algae here is Alaria sp
At 11.5 metres: The wrinkled brown algae: Hedophyllum sp.
At 12.5 metres : The green grass-like plant is Phyllospadix sp , (an Angiosperm, not an Algae)

See Transect A0050101
See Transect A0050102
See Transect A0050103

___________________________________________________________

Return to the Contents page for Environmental modelling with Transects..

Why do Transects ? overview and techniques

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THE OVERVIEW:

Images of transects applied to biological systems provide educators and students an opportunity to explore a wide diversity of systems and habitats. Traditionally, transects have been used in ecological studies to understand populations and community associations within selected habitats. The same concepts may be used to investigate any number of other biological systems ranging from individual organisms, or parts of organisms, to global ecosystems.
The transect provides a tool to focus attention on specific, selected systems and the effects of abiotic and biotic parameters affecting those biological units in the system. Qualitative and quantitative analyses by students at many levels, utilizing the resources of the world wide web, will provide the ability to study not only the specific transect site, but to link those studies with related research and information. It is our expectation that this exercise will not only provide an opportunity for an actual educational experience but will form the initial stimulus for contributions on new sites by other individuals and groups on a world wide basis. This would transfer the collaborative classroom exercise to a research activity reflecting the collaborative nature of international science.Educators and students are encouraged to use, among others, the BioQUEST philosophy of collaborative learning to develop additional exercises that support the use of transects as a tool for biological investigations and learning.

Collaborative Curriculum Lead-In:

Using the internet with biological transects can enhance knowledge and appreciation of important relationships in established biological systems. It is an ideal technique to foster and promote collaboration among students of a class, or between students from different geographic areas, the states or provinces, and countries. Teachers at all levels (K- 16) can take advantage of this medium to introduce students to the WWW as an information-providing tool, and as a research tool (example: NIH Image). Furthermore, they are encouraged to get their students to provide other examples of transects so that a transect data base on the web can be expanded. It could eventually include a wide variety of biological systems whether from a microscopic view point or a satellite perspective.

TECHNIQUES:

The basic premise of the initial transect presentations on this web site is of transects established linearly across a biological site (often through an environmental gradient). The measuring device used depends on the size of the site and the logistical constraints in putting it into place. It is envisioned that eventually transects ranging in size from a microscopic level to a satellite image level will appear here.

Note: to be useful for this project, all images contributed must have a reference measurement scale visible or the scale must be known so that it could be inserted into the pictures. Photos also need to be of good quality. It is also possible that accurate drawings could provide the image for a transect.

BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS

Transects may be used in any biological system that is appropriate to the educational and scientific mission. What is presented here are suggestions for choosing habitats; the list is not all-inclusive, but hopefully a stimulus for further selection and development of sites. Most of our natural ecosystems in the world are being affected by the onset of Climate Change. If we are to know what the components of a natural ecosystem are , we need to document them before irreversible change occurs,  

EXTERNAL SITES:

1. AQUATIC HABITATS:

a. Marine

  • Water column (vertical and horizontal transects; use of satellite imagery)
  • Rocky Intertidal
  • Mud Flats
  • Sandy Beaches
  • Subtidal
  • Cobble and Shingle Beaches
  • Tide Pools
  • Coral Reefs
  • Thermal vent communities
  • Ice Flow Communities

b. Estuarine

  • Water column
  • Mangrove communities
  • Mud and sand flats
  • Salt marshes
  • Lagoons
  • Docks and pilings

c. Fouling (Settlement) communities

d. Freshwater

  • Lakes and ponds
  • Ephemeral pools
  • Rivers, streams and creeks
  • Marshes

2. TERRESTRIAL HABITATS:

  • Forest and woodland
  • Grassland
  • Savannah
  • Chapparal
  • Deserts
  • Urban lot
  • Agricultural fields
  • Tundra

INTERNAL [LABORATORY BASED] SITES:

1. Microscopic communities: use of bacteria, protists, invertebrates, algae

  • Petri dish populations
  • Tissue culture populations
  • Glass slide populations

2. Macroscopic habitats

  • Aquaria – marine, estuarine and freshwater
  • Terraria – desert to moist 

We hope that this page will soon expand to include a wide range of images of very different transects. Some of the transects we would like to see contributed are :

    • A transect through a bog ecosystem.
    • A transect through an alpine ecosystem from the foot of a melting glacier.
    • A transect through the shoreline of a drying salt pan as one sees in Saskatchewan or other locations on the North American Plains.
    • Aerial transects from the tundra showing distribution of Caribou herds and vegetation .
    • Aerial transects through the savannahs of Africa showing animal distribution patterns .
    • Coral Reef and Mangrove Forest transects.
    • Vertical Transects in Forest Ecosystems.
    • Microscopic Transects.

    HOW DOES ONE PREPARE IMAGES TO BE ANALYZED?
    ECOLOGICAL NICHE MODELING: This file gives detailed instructions on the method used to download pictures for processing, measuring, and further work. It also contains details for an exercise on the 3D modelling of ecological niches of organisms.

ORIGINAL AUTHORS:

This program was developed at the 1995 BioQUEST Summer Workshop on Collaborative Learning, Peer Review, and Persuasion in Biology Education at Beloit College, WI. USA
The authors of the program were :

  • Lynette Padmore, Florida A & M University, Tallahassee, Florida
  • John Moon, Harding College, Searcy, Arkansas
  • Ned Lyke, California State University, Hayward, Hayward, California
  • Gabriele Wienhausen, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
  • Garry Fletcher, Lester B. Pearson College, Victoria, B.C. Canada

Peg 5 sample transects
See Transect A0050101
See Transect A0050102
See Transect A0050103
_____________________________________________________________

Return to the Contents page for Environmental modelling with Transects..

SPECIES LIST From: William Head, Rosedale Rocks, Race Rocks by Donna Gibbs

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SPECIES LIST:

Compiled by:Donna Gibbs of the Vancouver Acquarium on dives made at Rosedale Rock, West Race Rocks and William Head in the summer of 1997. Groupings are made in Phylums or Divisions.

Dive 432 – Rosedale, Race Rocks – June 12, 1997

Epiphytic red algae (Smithora, Antithamnion, Ceramium, Polysiphonia)Iridescent blade red algae (Iridea)

Encrusting coralline algae (Lithothamnion)

Branching coralline algae (Bossiella, Corallina, Calliarthron)

 Bull kelp (Nereocystis)Blade kelp (Costaria)

Blade kelp (Alaria)

Woody-stemmed kelp (Lessoniopsis, Eisenia, Pterygophora)

  Tar spot (Codium setchellii)
 Tan finger sponge (Isodictya quatsinoensis)Orange-red encrusting sponge (Ophlitaspongia pennata)

Thick, dark red encrusting sponge (Plocamia karykina)

Boring sponge (Cliona celata)

Crumb-of-bread sponge (Halichondria, Haliclona spp.)

  Giant black feather-duster worm (Eudistylia vancouveri)Sand-dwelling feather-duster worm (Sabella spp.)

Slime tubeworm (Myxicola infundibulum)

Multi-colour calcareous tubeworm (Serpula vermicularis)

Honeycomb tubeworm (Dodecaceria fewkesi)

Spaghetti or shell binder worm (Thelepus crispus)

  Plumose anemone (Metridium giganteum)Red and green or Christmas tealia (Urticina crassicornis)

Crimson anemone (Cribrinopsis fernaldi)

Brooding or proliferating anemone (Epiactis prolifera)

Zoanthid (Epizoanthus scotinus)

Ostrich-plume hydroid (Aglaophenia struthionides)

Delicate-plumed hydroid (Plumularia spp.)

Orange hydroid (Garveia annulata)

Snail-fur hydroid (Hydractinia sp.)

Pink-mouthed solitary hydroid (Tubularia marina)

Thread-like, creeping network hydroid (Orthopyxis spp.)

Pink or violet branching hydrocoral (Stylaster venusta)

Encrusting hydrocoral (Allopora petrograpta)

Tiny star jellyfish (Phialidium gregarium)
  Other encrusting bryozoan (Schizoporella spp., Microporella spp., Eurystomella spp.)Northern staghorn bryozoan (Heteropora pacifica)  Gumboot chiton (Cryptochiton stelleri)California mussel (Mytilus californianus)

Rock or purple-hinged scallop (Crassedoma giganteum)

White-cap limpet (Acmaea mitra)

Rough keyhole limpet (Diodora aspera)

Snail-dwelling slipper shell (Crepidula adunca)

Leafy hornmouth shell (Ceratostoma foliatum)

Blue top snail (Calliostoma ligatum)

Heath’s dorid (Geitodoris heathi)

Coloured dendronotid (Dendronotus diversicolor)

   Sea flea (Anisogammarus spp., Orchestia spp.)Coon-stripe shrimp (Pandalus danae)

Candycane or candy-stripe shrimp (Lebbeus grandimanus)

Kincaid’s commensal shrimp (Heptacarpus kincaidi)

Giant or giant acorn barnacle (Balanus nubilis)

Oregon crab (Cancer oregonensis)

Masking or sharp-nose crab (Scyra acutifrons)

Hairy, flat lithode crab (Hapalogaster mertensii)

Scaled crab (Placetron wosnessenskii)

Orange hermit crab (Elassochirus gilli)
 Blood star (Henricia leviuscula)Long-rayed or rainbow star (Orthasterias koehleri)

Six-rayed star (Leptasterias hexactis)

Sunflower star (Pycnopodia helianthoides)

Sun star (Solaster stimpsoni)

Serpent or daisy brittle star (Ophiopholis aculeata)

Giant red sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus)

Purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)

Giant or California sea cucumber (Parastichopus californicus)

Creeping pedal or armored sea cucumber (Psolus chitonoides)

   Mosshead warbonnet (Chirolophis nugator) gorgeous – huge and red!Copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinus)

Quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger)

Black rockfish (Sebastes melanops)

Tiger rockfish (Sebastes nigrocinctus)

Kelp greenling (Hexagrammos decagrammus)

Ling cod (Ophiodon elongatus)

Scalyhead sculpin (Artedius harringtoni)

Red Irish lord (Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus)

  Lobed compound tunicate (Cystodytes lobatus)

White-crust compound tunicate (Didemnum albidum)

Dive 433 – Rosedale, Race Rocks – June 13, 1997
 Epiphytic red algae (Smithora, Antithamnion, Ceramium, Polysiphonia)Encrusting coralline algae (Lithothamnion)

Branching coralline algae (Bossiella, Corallina, Calliarthron)

  Woody-stemmed kelp (Lessoniopsis, Eisenia, Pterygophora)  Tar spot (Codium setchellii)
 Tennis ball sponge (Tetilla arb)Smooth orange puff-ball sponge (Suberites montiniger)  Red sand-dwelling tubeworm (not Sabella)  Coon-stripe shrimp (Pandalus danae)Candycane or candy-stripe shrimp (Lebbeus grandimanus)

Kincaid’s commensal shrimp (Heptacarpus kincaidi)

Giant or giant acorn barnacle (Balanus nubilis)

Oregon crab (Cancer oregonensis)

Masking or sharp-nose crab (Scyra acutifrons)
Other encrusting bryozoan (Schizoporella spp., Microporella spp., Eurystomellaspp.)  Lined chiton (Tonicella lineata)Red chiton (Tonicella insignis)

Gumboot chiton (Cryptochiton stelleri)

Swimming or pink scallop (Chlamys sp.)

White-cap limpet (Acmaea mitra)

Rough keyhole limpet (Diodora aspera)

Leafy hornmouth shell (Ceratostoma foliatum)

Dire whelk (Searlesia dira)

Dwarf hairy triton (Trichotropsis cancellata)

Blue top snail (Calliostoma ligatum)

Cockerel’s dorid (Laila cockerelli)

 Plumose anemone (Metridium giganteum)Red and green or Christmas tealia (Urticina crassicornis)

Crimson anemone (Cribrinopsis fernaldi)

Brooding or proliferating anemone (Epiactis prolifera)

Zoanthid (Epizoanthus scotinus)

Sea fir (Abietinaria spp., Thuiaria spp., Sertularia spp.)

Ostrich-plume hydroid (Aglaophenia struthionides)

Delicate-plumed hydroid (Plumularia spp.)

Orange hydroid (Garveia annulata)

Pink or violet branching hydrocoral (Stylaster venusta)
 Blood star (Henricia leviuscula)Long-rayed or rainbow star (Orthasterias koehleri)

Six-rayed star (Leptasterias hexactis)

Sunflower star (Pycnopodia helianthoides)

Sun star (Solaster stimpsoni)

Giant red sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus)

Purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)

Giant or California sea cucumber (Parastichopus californicus)

Black sea cucumber (Cucumaria lubrica)

  Copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinus)Quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger)

Kelp greenling (Hexagrammos decagrammus)

Ling cod (Ophiodon elongatus)

Scalyhead sculpin (Artedius harringtoni)

Cabezon (Scorpaenicthys marmoratus)

 Lobed compound tunicate (Cystodytes lobatus)White-crust compound tunicate (Didemnum albidum)

Dive 434 – West Race Rocks – June 13, 1997
   Woody-stemmed kelp (Lessoniopsis, Eisenia, Pterygophora)  Surf grass (Phyllospadix)
 Tan finger sponge (Isodictya quatsinoensis)Boring sponge (Cliona celata)

Pecten sponge (Mycale adhaerens)

Sulphur sponge (Myxilla lacunosa)

Smooth orange puff-ball sponge (Suberites montiniger)

  Orange ribbon worm (Tubulanus polymorphus)Giant black feather-duster worm (Eudistylia vancouveri)

Sand-dwelling feather-duster worm (Sabella spp.)

Honeycomb tubeworm (Dodecaceria fewkesi)

Spaghetti or shell binder worm (Thelepus crispus)

  
 Kelp-encrusting bryozoan (Membranipora membranacea)Other encrusting bryozoan (Schizoporella spp., Microporella spp., Eurystomella

spp.)

Spiral or spiral-tuft bryozoan (Bugula californica)

Fluted bryozoan (Hippodiplosia insculpta)

Northern staghorn bryozoan (Heteropora pacifica)

  Gumboot chiton (Cryptochiton stelleri)California mussel (Mytilus californianus)

Sea bottle clam (Mytilimeria nuttallii)

Rough keyhole limpet (Diodora aspera)

Northern or pinto abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana) 1 – 4″

Dwarf lurid triton (Ocenebra lurida)

Monterey sea lemon (Archidoris montereyensis)

White dorid (Archidoris odhneri)

Opalescent aeolid (Hermissenda crassicornis)

Three-lined aeolid (Flabellina trilineata)

Coloured dendronotid (Dendronotus diversicolor)

Giant Pacific octopus (Octopus dofleini)

 White-spotted tealia (Urticina lofotensis)Crimson anemone (Cribrinopsis fernaldi)

Brooding or proliferating anemone (Epiactis prolifera)

Zoanthid (Epizoanthus scotinus)

Soft coral (Gersemia rubiformis)

Sea fir (Abietinaria spp., Thuiaria spp., Sertularia spp.)

Ostrich-plume hydroid (Aglaophenia struthionides)

Delicate-plumed hydroid (Plumularia spp.)

Orange hydroid (Garveia annulata)

Snail-fur hydroid (Hydractinia sp.)

Pink-mouthed solitary hydroid (Tubularia marina)

Pink or violet branching hydrocoral (Stylaster venusta)
  Leather star (Dermasterias imbricata)Blood star (Henricia leviuscula)

Long-rayed or rainbow star (Orthasterias koehleri)

Velcro or fish-eating star (Stylasterias forreri)

Six-rayed star (Leptasterias hexactis)

Sunflower star (Pycnopodia helianthoides)

Sun star (Solaster stimpsoni)

Morning sun star (Solaster dawsoni)

  Kelp greenling (Hexagrammos decagrammus)Ling cod (Ophiodon elongatus)

Scalyhead sculpin (Artedius harringtoni)

Cabezon (Scorpaenicthys marmoratus)

Red Irish lord (Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus)

  Light-bulb tunicate (Clavelina huntsmani)Stalked, dwarf light-bulb tunicate (Pycnoclavella stanleyi)

Stalked compound tunicate (Distaplia smithi)

Dive 431 – William Head, Vancouver Island – June 12, 1997
Epiphytic red algae (Smithora, Antithamnion, Ceramium, Polysiphonia)Iridescent blade red algae (Iridea)

Encrusting coralline algae (Lithothamnion)

Branching coralline algae (Bossiella, Corallina, Calliarthron)

  Bull kelp (Nereocystis)

Woody-stemmed kelp (Lessoniopsis, Eisenia, Pterygophora)
 Orange-red encrusting sponge (Ophlitaspongia pennata)Thick, dark red encrusting sponge (Plocamia karykina)

Boring sponge (Cliona celata)

Hermit crab sponge (Suberites suberea) with Pagurus stevensae

  Agassiz’s peanut worm (Phascolosoma agassizii)Scale worm (Halosydna brevisetosa, Harmothoe spp.)

Slime tubeworm (Myxicola infundibulum)

Multi-colour calcareous tubeworm (Serpula vermicularis)

Cement tubeworm (Sabellaria cementarium)

Spaghetti or shell binder worm (Thelepus crispus)

 Plumose anemone (Metridium giganteum)Red and green or Christmas tealia (Urticina crassicornis)

Fish-eating tealia (Urticina piscivora)

Brooding or proliferating anemone (Epiactis sp.)

Orange cup coral (Balanophyllia elegans)

Sea fir (Abietinaria spp., Thuiaria spp., Sertularia spp.)

Silver-tip hydroid (Abietinaria greeni)

Pink or violet branching hydrocoral (Stylaster venusta)

Encrusting hydrocoral (Allopora petrograpta)

Water jellyfish (Aequorea victoria)

Tiny star jellyfish (Phialidium gregarium)
Other encrusting bryozoan (Schizoporella spp., Microporella spp., Eurystomellaspp.)

Northern staghorn bryozoan (Heteropora pacifica)

Southern staghorn bryozoan (Diaperoecia californica)

 

 Oval brachiopod or lamp shell (Laqueus californicus) ?
 Lined chiton (Tonicella lineata)Red chiton (Tonicella insignis)

Gumboot chiton (Cryptochiton stelleri)

Swimming or pink scallop (Chlamys sp.)

Rock or purple-hinged scallop (Crassedoma giganteum)

Jingle shell (Pododesmus cepio)

Northwest ugly clam (Entodesma saxicola)

Hooded puncturella (Puncturella cucullata)

Northern or pinto abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana)

Leafy hornmouth shell (Ceratostoma foliatum)

Dwarf lurid triton (Ocenebra lurida)

Oregon or giant hairy triton (Fusitriton oregonensis)

Dwarf hairy triton (Trichotropsis cancellata)

Blue top snail (Calliostoma ligatum)

Ringed top snail (Calliostoma annulatum)

Variable lacuna (Lacuna variegata)

Smooth-edged wenteltrap (Opalia borealis)

White dorid (Archidoris odhneri)

Nanaimo dorid (Acanthodoris nanaimoensis)

Cockerel’s dorid (Laila cockerelli)

Opalescent aeolid (Hermissenda crassicornis)

Red-gilled aeolid (Flabellina verrucosa)

  Common gray mysid (unknown) ?Coon-stripe shrimp (Pandalus danae)

Kincaid’s commensal shrimp (Heptacarpus kincaidi)

Giant or giant acorn barnacle (Balanus nubilis)

Oregon crab (Cancer oregonensis)

Masking or sharp-nose crab (Scyra acutifrons)

Flat porcelain crab (Petrolisthes cinctipes)

Turtle or butterfly crab (Cryptolithodes typicus)

Flat, granular-claw hermit crab (Elassochirus tenuimanus)

Sponge hermit crab (Pagurus stevensae)
Blood star (Henricia leviuscula)Long-rayed or rainbow star (Orthasterias koehleri)

Sunflower star (Pycnopodia helianthoides)

Sun star (Solaster stimpsoni)

Serpent or daisy brittle star (Ophiopholis aculeata)

Green sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis)

Giant red sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus)

Purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)

Giant or California sea cucumber (Parastichopus californicus)

Red sea cucumber (Cucumaria miniata)

Creeping pedal or armored sea cucumber (Psolus chitonoides)

   MPacific herring (Clupea harengus pallasi) school of juvenilesBlackeye goby (Coryphopterus nicholsi)

Mosshead warbonnet (Chirolophis nugator)

Longfin gunnel (Pholis clemensi)

Copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinus) one adult

Puget Sound rockfish (Sebastes emphaeus) school of 200 juveniles

Kelp greenling (Hexagrammos decagrammus)

Scalyhead sculpin (Artedius harringtoni)

 Broad-base tunicate (Cnemidocarpa finmarkiensis)Horse-shoe or disc-top tunicate (Chelyosoma productum)

Stalked, dwarf light-bulb tunicate (Pycnoclavella stanleyi)

Orange social tunicate (Metandrocarpa taylori)

White-crust compound tunicate (Didemnum albidum)

Tidepool # 5

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Pool 5 viewed from Pool 6

This file has been started to present some of the information we have accumulated on the pool in order to stimulate students to raise further questions and devise problems that can be investigated at the pool. It is also intended to be part of a cumulative digital legacy that those examining the pool can pass on to future students.

 

Tidepool 5 when the surge is filling it.

Pool 5 with a compass bearing of 210 degrees from Peg 6 is only cut off from the open ocean at a very low tide so it has a number of invertebrates that need cooler water to survive. Some anemone and purple urchins and several snail species inhabit this pool.

The following is a student lab done on an analysis of this pool:

TIDE POOL LABORATORY

BY: SARA PAVAN, ROCIO GIL, ANA MARIA VEGA, MARIUXI ZAMBRANO

Introduction

THE INTERTIDALZone: It is an area occupied by a great number of individuals and species. It is sufficiently inundated by tides and waves that provide plant nutrients, Oxygen and plankton. It is the zone where tide pools form.The intertidal zone of Race Rocks is very rich of tide pools. They are conventionally numbered for the purpose of identification. The tide pool that was studied for this lab is pool #5.

POOL NUMBER 5: It is a very low pool but very high in biodiversity. It is located in an area very open to the swells of the sea.

STRUCTURE OF THE LAB

BIOTIC FACTORS: measurement of horizontal and vertical distribution.

ABIOTIC FACTORS: temperature and salinity.

AIM OF THE LAB: TO STUDY THE HIGH BIODIVERSITY IN THE LOW POOL.

PROCEDURE AND ANALYSIS.

In the middle of the tide pool and at point#1.1 temperature and salinity were measured. The table shows the data collected.

 

  salinity-parts per thousand  temperature °Celsius
 middle-surface  27.5 parts  9°
 middle-8 centimetres  28.5  9°

middle- 48 centimetres 9° 30

point 1- 8 centimetres 9° 28.5

point 1- 28.5 centimetres 9° 29

The above results were obtained in the morning and comparing with the results given by other groups at 4:00 pm, we can see that the temperature increased one degree.

The data collection process has caused some problems, as big swells came regularly every three minutes from 9:22 to 9:28, a smaller swell came at 9:31 and an even smaller one came at 9:36. At these times we had to clear a pool, this slowed down the process quite a bit.

The following species were found in the following points.

In point 2 Balanus was found at 20 cm. of depth to the surface. It was found also in point 3 at 23 cm. of depth to the surface.Two Anthopleura elegantissima were found at 25 cm. of deph. Two Purple Sea Urchins were found at the point of 1 metre of length, covered by rocks. Two cabezons were present as well as mussels. Fucus distichus algae were covering the left part of the pool.

Some of the species were weighed the same day that were collected.Then they were dried and weighed again, with the aim of obtaining the biomass. The next table shows the results obtained

Species Weight before dry Weight after dry Biomass

Corallina 14.1 g 4.8 g 34 %

Fucus 20.1 g 1.3 g 6.5 %

Green algae 8.7 g 0.6 g 0.6 %

Phylospadix (surf grass)  -10.5 g 2.3 g 21.9 %

 

To get the Biomass results we multiplied the dry weight for 100 and divided by normal weight.

To get more data about pool 5, we measured the amount of plankton of each sample of water. The results were that there was less plankton in the surface than in the bottom due to the constant exchange of oxygen produced by the waves

Measurements of the pool 5.

1.Aea: 34546.95 cm2

2.Length: 1449.65 cm.

To obtain these measurements, refer to this file on using NIH IMAGE

Obviously, the level of oxygen in pool 5 must be really high due to the huge diversity of animals and plants found. As we know, the plants produce oxygen and the animals consume it while producing carbon dioxide, which provokes an interaction increasing and decreasing the level of ph and oxygen  depending on whether sunlight is present for photosynthesis or not.

OUR EVALUATION.

From the beginning of the lab, we had some problems to take the samples due to the high tide that made the collecting of samples a lot more difficult. A more accurate study of the pool, could have been done by measuring the levels of ph and oxygen. Team work was effective, the effort came from everyone in the group and we succeeded in computer work by obtaining  excellent pictures and measurements of the pool.

Pearson College students plot tidal currents at Race Rocks

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n April of 1996, the Pearson College Environmental Systems Class planned a field lab which would enable us to present a profile of the currents around the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve. We had acquired a number of drogues as surplus which were used in current studies after the Alaskan Oil Spill. We have fitted them with radar reflectors so that we can determine the distances from the islands in our plotting process.