Category Archives: Video

Urticina grebelnyi: Painted Anemone–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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tealia-1

Ryan Murphy photo of this species.

In this video, the soft pink coral Gersemia rubiformis is highlighted. It grows at 7-10 meters over a 3 square meter area off peg #3. Other organisms shown in association in the same area are: Anemone- (both Tealia and Epiactis), hydroids, sponges and colonial ascidians .
Urticina grebelnyi
Painted Anemone
Urticina grebelnyi has previously been called ” Tealia” anemone. They are one of the most abundant large anemone at Race Rocks in the subtidal area. They use their nematocysts expelled from their stout tentacles for the immobilization of small fish, crustaceans such as krill and anything organic that drifts their way. Pieces of dead fish have been seen clinging to the tentacles. They are believed to live a very long time, as long as they are in an area well supplied with food by the current.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Anthozoa
Genus Utricina
Species grebelnyi 
Common Name  Painted Anemone

Return to the Race Rocks taxonomy Index 

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by the students,
faculty, staff and volunteers  of Lester B. Pearson College 2006
Garry Fletcher

 

Installation of the Anchors for the Tidal Current Turbine Project

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On July 16, 2006 the barge was moved on site for the installation of the piling. The first stage was the deployment of anchors for the positioning of the drilling barge. I captured the following pictures  from the remote Camera 5.

On July 18, 2006 Chris Blondeau and Mike Cameron dived on the west centre anchor blocks and took video of the blocks and chains and some of the effects on surrounding organisms. They also navigated on the same dive to the dredged site as well and we see the excavation and the pile of dredged materials in this video.

Dr. Anita Brinckmann-Voss and Hydroid Research at Race Rocks

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anitaDr. Anita Brinckmann-Voss  passed away in December of 2017.

From 1986, to 2005,  Dr. Brinckmann-Voss of Sooke, BC assisted the students and faculty of Lester Pearson College with her understanding of marine invertebrate ecology and her expertise in the taxonomy of hydroids.  These small colonial animals, the alternate stage of the life-cycle of jellyfish, occur in rich profusion underwater at the Race Rocks Marine Ecological Reserve.  When the original species list was done for the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve Proposal, in 1979, only 2 hydroids had been included on our species list. Now over 60 species have been identified by Anita and she continued to assist students with research projects while she furthered her research on specimens from the island until 2004. Anita has established long term research plots in a tidepool at the reserve and documents the distribution of hydroids underwater with the assistance of students and faculty in the Diving program at Lester B. Pearson College. Below: Anita accompanied Garry, Chris and Joe on a dive to Secretary Island, West of Race Rocks up the Strait of Juan de Fuca towards Sooke. The purpose was to collect samples for hydroid specimens.  

anitaandsvobodaDr. Armin Svoboda and his son Hanno visited Race Rocks with Chris Blondeau and Dr. Anita Brinckmann-Voss in August of 2004. His pictures taken on a dive there are linked here.

 

 

 See this link for the hydroids identified by Anita. https://www.racerocks.ca/tag/hydroid/ 

See all the posts on this website tagged with Dr. Anita Brinckmann-Voss

bellatitle-1Gallery of photomicrographs of Hydroids- photos by Dr. Anita Brinckmann-Voss

tubulariaVideo on the habitat of a rare Tubularia

 

 

 

 

 

westshorePhotos of  Intertidal Hydroid Habitat on West side of Race Rocks .

 

 

 

 

PUBLICATIONS of Dr. Voss from her Research at Race Rocks Ecological Reserve :

 1. Brinckmann-Voss, A. , Lickey, D.M. , and Mills, C.E. 1993 . Rhysia fletcheri (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa, Rhysiidae), a new species of Colonial Hydroid from Vancouver Island British Columbia, Canada) and the San Juan Archipelago (Washington, USA) . Canadian Journal of Zoology 71: 401-406

Abstract: 

  • A new species of colonial athecate hydroid, Rhysia fletcheri , is described from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, and from Friday Harbour, Washington, U.S.A. It’s relationship to Rhysia autumnalis Brinckmann from the Mediterranean and Rhysia halecii (Hickson and Gravely) from the Antarctic and Japan is discussed. Rhysia fletcheri differs from Rhysia autumnalis and Rhysia halecii in the gastrozooid having distinctive cnidocyst clusters on its hypostome and few, thick tentacles.
  • hydrfemeMost of its female gonozooids have no tentacles. Colonies of R. fletcheri are without dactylozooids. The majority of R. fletcheri colonies are found growing on large barnacles or among the hydrorhiza of large thecate hydrozoans. 
  • Rhysia fletcheri occurs in relatively sheltered waters of the San Juan Islands and on the exposed coast of Southern Vancouver Island. Colored photos of Rhysia males. females and gastrozooids are included.

 2. Brinckmann-Voss, A. 1996. Seasonality of Hydroids (Hydrozoa, Cnidaria) from an intertidal pool and adjacent subtidal habitats at Race Rocks, off Vancouver Island,Canada, Scientia Marina Advances in Hydrozoan Biology , Vol 60 (1):89-97

Abstract:

  • An assemblage of 27 hydroid species was reported from a tide pool in the lower rocky intertidal zone, and compared with 42 hydroids of the adjacent subtidal region. Location of hydroids within the pool, seasonal occurrence, growth and sexual maturity were tabulated, and some systematic aspects discussed. Possible causes of hydroid species diversity were considered, including location of the tide pool in an area of tidal rapids, and shading by surf-grass and rock cliffs during low tide.

Tidal Currents and Current Measurement at Race Rocks

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The current at Race Rocks had just changed to a flood – it would be getting up to 6 knots in a few hours, so it was probably at about 5 knots at this time.

currentnowsTidal Current Predictions for  Race Passage
Prediction: Graph 

 

Race Passage Current tables, 2021

 

 

 

ADCP6Along with the installation of the Tidal Current turbine,  an ADCP was installed to give real time profiles of the Currents at Race Rocks. See the attached file for the type of profile that was generated:Sample of the result of the data analysis at Site 1:

 

sw24mThe Creation of the Race Passage Current Tables

 

 

 

Map of Currents at Race Rocks from ADCP tests

 

 

 

 

awac2See the video on wave and current measurement using the Acoustic Wave and Current instrument.

 

 

waterpropertiesWater Properties in Juan de Fuca

 

 

 

 

cursymbField Lab on Current Studies using Drogues.

 

 

 

tomiondeck1stomiondeck1sOceanographic
Research on Mixing in upwellings
of Race Rocks

 

 

kallesKalle Kallestrom’s essay on The biotic associations on the Current meter Block

 

 

 

deweysStratified Tidal Flow over a Bump
Richard Dewey,et al–Interactions of stratified flow on an isolated topographic feature: a bump to the east of Race Rocks.

 

ebbs MATLAB charts of barotropic currents to the east of Race Rocks.

 

 

 

generatorsLink to the Tidal Current Power Project

 

Archived Video of Marine and Terrestrial Birds at Race Rocks

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Nesting Seabirds, Migrating stopover species, and winter roosting species are portrayed in these videos.

 

 Overwintering Blk. Oystercatchers. behaviour
( 4 videos)		  Blk. Oystercatcher feeding in the intertidal zone.  Black Oystercatcher nesting behaviour  Black Oystercatchers on hatching day
 
Pigeon Guillemots on the western side of Race Rocks Cepphus columba   Pigeon Guillemots Cepphus columba
Taxonomy File		 Feeding by Guillemot Cepphus columba
Taxonomy File		  Pigeon Guillemot scenes on Land and water. Cepphus columba
 
Harlequin Ducks overwintering Histrionicus histrionicus
Taxonomy File		  The Short-billed Dowitcher
Limnodromus griseus
Taxonomy file		  Black Turnstones Arenaria melanocephala  Ruddy Turnstone  Arenaria interpres
The Glaucous winged Gull feeding .–four videos in the Taxonomy file David and Satoshi,did a live webcasting project, making videos of gull behavior   May 1: Breeding in the gull colony has started and will continue throughout May and June.  August 2003- A helicopter causes adult gulls to attack scattering chicks = heavy mortality
   
Barn Swallows nesting at Race Rocks  North Western Crow Corvus caurinaus  Eagles congregate at Race Rocks in January.
Taxonomy file		 Juvenile Eagle eating a harbour seal
   
slideshows of Peregrine Falcon by Pam Birley  Brandt’s Cormorants Thayer’s gulls over-wintering  Great Blue Heron Ardea herodius

 

Archived Video : Pearson College Diving Activity at Race Rocks

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Underwater Webcasts by the Divers

David,Satoshi,Victor and others do the first Johan Ashuvud week at Race Rocks Testing of the underwater to surface DIVELINK communication system  Underwater Video at West Race Rocks.
Live underwater webcast to New York using underwater communication system
(Spring 2001)		 Bluewater Diving- or tether diving, 2002. An initial test for the live webcasts in the June,2000 at Race Rocks.
Sea lions Visit Divers Video

The Underwater Environmental Data Sensor Bar.

kjkjkjkjk
In December 2000, the students and faculty of Pearson College install the first of the underwater environmental data sensors  Fouling -or succession– depends on how you look at it.

Underwater Work for the Tidal Energy Project

ADCP deployment for the Tidal Power Project Deployment and Retrieval of the ADCP from the Bottom of the Channel Succession Study of coatings and materials Chris Blondeau and Juan Carlos video the substrate at the site of the piling installation, and test the depth of the overburden.
turbsitehydroids
Turbine site hydroid survey by Chris Blondeau and Juan Carlos Yabar, 2006

 

 Pam and Jason from Archipelago Marine do their underwater survey of the location of the Piling Drilling for the Current Energy Project. Video on the Pearson College, EnCana, Clean Current Tidal Power Demonstration Project at Race Rocks

 

 In December of 2007,The Pearson College Divers installed a set of junction boxes as part of a materials testing experiment for the tidal energy project.

Archived Videos : First Nations at Race Rocks

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On November, 2003, we hosted a group of First Nations divers from Nass River. Matt Hill provided information on the marine resources of that area.

On May 2, 2000, we were privileged to take several members of local First Nations to Race Rocks. The late Earl Claxton, councillor of the Tsawout First Nations and his grandson were among those attending. Joe Bartleman, councillor of the Tsartlip First Nations also helped us to visualize the importance of marine animals in the diet of the people.

They talked with us about the past and present role of coastal ecosystems in the lives of the Salish people. These people always have been an integral part of ecosystems such as this one at Race Rocks. These video clips convey some of the stories that Earl and Joe had to tell about their people and their interactions with marine resources.

“When the tide went out, the table was set” for First Nations people in this area.  At Race Rocks this would have been particularly important because of the rich biodiversity in the intertidal zone.

 Matt Hill explaining the Northern BC First Nations names of marine resources  Earl Claxton, councillor of the Tsawout First Nations and Joe Bartleman, councillor of the Tsartlip First Nations interviewed at Race Rocks offer comments on the role of First Nations people in the coastal ecosystem of the Salish Sea.  Earl tells us about the food and medicinal role of some marine algae from the intertidal areas  Transportation on the Salish Sea was so important to the cultures of the West Coast. While looking at an old carved canoe, Earl reflects on the types of canoes used . This canoe is used as a focal point for First Nations resources in our education program.

The Salish First Nations have lived as part of the Race Rocks Ecosystem for millennia. We have been fortunate to have as our advisor on the Marine Protected Area Advisory Committee a long time friend of the Pearson College Community, Tom Sampson of the Tsartlip First Nation. Through his wise guidance, we have come to realize the importance of the Race Rocks area as a valuable resource for education about First Nations Values.

Archive of Scenes and Activities at Race Rocks

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 “Saltwater” the images of kelp at Race Rocks set to the music of Holly Arntzen  Ben’s movie : the Johan Ashuvud Race Rocks 2002 Project  Mood piece on sunset at Race Rocks with the music of the Pearson College One hundred voices choir
 heli flight  
 Delivery of the generator by helicopter David Grierson, CBC Radio from Race Rocks

INDEX page for all VIDEOS

Archives: Videos of Science and Education at Race Rocks.

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The students of Lester Pearson College are frequently taken to Race Rocks for educational field labs. Pearson College has, since automation in 1997, paid for the staffing and upkeep of the island. These videos portray some of the exercises that are done throughout the year on the island. The college biology and environmental systems classes, students on special projects, and outside researchers make extensive use of the facilities. In addition several videos portray the physical factors that help to make Race Rocks an unusual ecosystem.

Video by AZIZ, 2016

 

 “
 Laura Verhegge’s first year environmental systems class doing their end of term exam at Race Rocks, May 2002.  A session with the biology class by the high tidepools at Race Rocks.  The Environmental Systems Field Exam, May 2000
  April, 2000: Environmental systems classes of LBPC  in  tidepool study on the W.side of Great R.R. This is part of the class report .
Outpost- A film on the educational activities at Race Rocks 1997 Some Intertidal Discussions- Johan Ashuvud week June 2004 Underwater Belt Transect survey. Laura Verhegge and students of Lester B.Pearson College
School Visits
June 2002 field trip: for a live webcast of the grade six students of Westmont school A school visit by Journey elementary school in June to Race Rocks Second day of students’ visit in June. Students are shown how the cameras function at racerocks. i
Pearson College Students assist as
 Ecoguardians Daily Life
Race Rocks Tour:English Version
Arabic Version
German Version		 Daily Duties For Assistants to the
MPA Guardian		 Daily life of the students staying for a project at Race Rocks.

Facilities on the Island and the  MPA.

 Installation of Composting Toilets at Race Rocks  The future of alternate energy at Race Rocks.
Interview with Taco Niet, Masters student at the University of Victoria
(June 2001)		  Race Rocks is officially declared a Marine Protected Area by Canada’s Ocean’s Minister Herb Dhaliwal and British Columbia’s Environment Minister Joan Sawicki.
Also see the MPA day File.

Underwater Research
at Race Rocks

 Abalone tagging at Race Rocks with Pearson College graduate Jim Palardy  A dive with Dr. Scott Wallace for the Discovery Channel,
May 7, 2000		  Alberto Lindner of Brazil visits Race Rocks for research on the Hydrocoral Allopora  Dr. Gitai Yahel and research on Ecology of Suspension Feeders

Physical Factors and their Effects on Race Rocks

 Tidal Level Variation at Race Rocks  Surge Channel and Surge as an Abiotic Factor  The Flood Current at Race Rocks  Wind Storm at Race Rocks

Archived Video on History of Race Rocks.

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 Demolition at Race Rocks: Shows the stone building originally built at the base of the tower and the wooden foghorn tower. Both removed in the ’60’s and 70’s. See this file on the foghorns.  Darcy Mathews explains his research on Burial Cairns at Race Rocks to the Anthroplogy students from Pearson College.

Rusted parts of the old boiler from the engine room are carried up to a
collection of other old parts stored at the base of the tower.

History of Race Rocks with early photos.