Category Archives: Video

Lopholithodes mandtii : The Puget Sound King Crab–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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We often encounter these very large Puget Sound King Crabs in the calm backwaters of Race Rocks. Juveniles may be found among the cobble. Sea urchins and other echinoderms form their diet.

 

Paul Michaluk a fomer PC student from New Zealand, captured this picture on the left of Garry holding a  a Lopholithodes brought up by the divers who were back for a PC alumni reunion

Another former student, Barb Holman, took the picture on the right of Garry demonstrating the size of a Puget Sound King crab at Race Rocks to Trish Holman in April, 1998
Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Subphylum Crustacea
Class Malacostraca
Order Decapoda
Family Lithodidae
Genus Lopholithodes
Species mandtii
Common Name: Puget Sound King Crab

See a post by our ecoguardian Mike Robinson in 2012

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. 

 

Substrate analysis for the Tidal Energy Project

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Chris Blondeau and Juan Carlos video the substrate at the site of the tidal energy piling installation. This is prior to the pile drilling operation for the Pearson College-ENCANA_Clean Current Demonstration Tidal Current Energy Project. They find bedrock in the area 30 cm under the surface at a depth of 24 meters of water.


See other archived video with Pearson College Divers

Invertebrate Scenes from the video:

metrid2

Metridium anemone with hydrocoral

hydroid

Hydroids

cribrinopsis

Cribrinopsis anemone and brooding anemones

bloodstar

Blood star and yellow sponge
generatorsLink to the Integrated Energy Project at Race Rocks

Underwater Survey for Environmental Impact of Tidal Generator Piling Location

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Pam and Jason from Archipelago Marine do their underwater survey of the projected path of the tidal energy cable. They monitor through the reef area at 10 meters depth, which was  not covered by the SIMS towed video. October 26, 2005 Frequent visits from sealions frequently distract Juan Carlos as he takes the video.

 

Scenes from the video

Ecological Monitoring for the Tidal Energy Generator

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Pam and Jason from Archipelago Marine do their underwater survey of the location of the Piling Drilling for the Current Energy Project. They monitor area at ~18 meters depth. October 26, 2005Frequent visits from sealions frequently distract Juan Carlos as he takes the video.

See other archived video with Pearson College Divers

Phoxichilidium femoratum: Sea spider– The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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pycnogonidLaura Verhegge in October 2005, collected two of these specimens while taking samples of invertebrates in the area where the tidal current turbine generator is to be installed. The diameter including legs is about 1cm. Note the short stubb as it should have 8 legs.  This video was taken with a microphotography apparatus. They were both found at 20 metres depth in association with the hydroids and the club tunicates.

Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum:Chelicerata
Class: Pycnogonida
Latreille, 1810
Order: Pantopoda
Gerstaecker, 1863
Genus:Phoxichilidium
species:femoratum

Membranipora serrilamella: Kelp-encrusting Bryozoa

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The colonial marine bryozoan Membranipora serrilamella, formerly referred to as Membranipora membranacea. produces a planktonic larva that is encased by a triangular bivalved shell. Following a relatively long free-swimming phase, the larva settles as an epizootic colony on the blade of laminarians and other subtidal marine algae. It then undergoes a metamorphosis to become the sessile progenitor of the colony, referred to as the ancestrula”.

Encrusting colonies are typically found on marine algae on the lower shore to shallow water. Found encrustating in kelps and other large seaweeds, especially common on the brown algae Laminaria, but can also be found growing in rocks, glass, floats or other.
Description: This epiphiytic bryozoan forms encrusting lacy matlike colonies of very small, rectangular aurozooids 0.42 x 0.13 mm. with tubercules or short spines in the corners. Each zooid has lateral calcified walls that contain ventral incalcified bands providing flexibility; A frontal membrane completely roofs the space between the supporting side walls with a lophophore (feeding tentacles) visible within. Tower zooids may also be present, where the frontal membrane projects upwards in a columnar way. Forms white, disc-like colonies, approx. 1 mm high and up to and over 100 mm wide. Zooids are rectangular and for together neatly in radially arranged rows that grow outward and branch into new rows as the pattern frows wider.
Additional information: Colonies may vary in size. Membranipora membranecea grows quickly (several mm/ day) in response to predation from sea slugs and in order to maintain its position on the kelp frond. Prolific growth is favoured by fast flowing water which provides food and oxygen. Egg production occurs once a year in the spring; the larva (cyphonautes) is planktotrophic and is the most abundant and largest coastal larva in Britain between June and August. The larva settles in late simmer-early autumn.
Natural history: Colonies are made up of hundreds or thousands of individual zooids, which are not much larger than a pond head. Their eight week growing season falls between late spring and early autumn. During this time, how they grow is dependent upon their success in the competition for space. The interaction between colonies can be cooperative to aggressive depending upon their size. Small colonies communicate by using electrical signals. Large colonies use runners called stolons from which new zooids bud from to mediate aggressive behaviors.

Domain- Eukaryota
Superphylum Prostomia
Phylum Bryozoa
Class  Gymnolaemata
Order Cheilostomatida
Suborder: Malacostegina •
 Family:  Membraniporidae •
Genus: Membranipora de Blainville, 1830
species: M. serriamella

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. March 8 2005- Fredy ( PC 32)

 

Fusitriton oregonensis: Hairy Oregon Triton–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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General Description: The Hairy Oregon Triton is the largest intertidal snail on the west coast. Measuring from 100 – 150mm in length. Containing 5 -6 whorls the outside of the shell is covered with thick dark brown hairy periostracum. It was first discovered in 1848 by Redfield. The state of Oregon proclaimed the Hairy Oregon Triton its state shell because of its honourable heritage and its attractive shell.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda
Order Mesigastropoda
Family Cymatiidae
Genus Fusitriton
Species oregonensis
Common Name: Hairy Oregon Triton

Reproduction: Each triton is one gender. Pairing of tritons occurs from spring to the end of July. After mating the female tritons lay the eggs on vertical surfaces and under rock ledges. The eggs are placed in rectangular capsules in a spiral pattern. Each capsule contains 1600- 2000 eggs. Eggs measure about 150 um (micrometres). Upon hatching, the veligers a form of planktonic larvae, take about 12 weeks before beginning to scavenge for themselves.

Habitat: The Hairy Oregon Triton lives in from the intertidal zone to 90m depth. Living from Alaska to as far south as San Diego, California. Primarily living on rocks, but will also live on sandy areas. The Hairy Oregon Triton lives in both areas of high wave exposure and sheltered areas.

Feeding: This predatory carnivorous snail eats primarily tunicates and ascidians but also chitons and sea urchins, some scientists suspect it maybe a carnivorous scavenger as well. Like many other whelks, this triton drills through the shell of its prey using its radula.

Predators: The main predator of the Hairy triton is the sea star. As it is a well defended snail with a thick shell and its operculum, most predators find it too difficult to kill.

Interesting Associations: The shell of the triton will often be occupied by large hermit crabs particularly the species after their death.
References Cited:

Edward F. Ricketts, Jack Calvin, and Joel W. Hedgpeth, Between Pacific Tides,1985

Eugene N. Kozloff, Marine Inverebrates of the Pacific Northwest, 1996

Megumi F. Strathmann, Reproduction and Development of Marine Invertebrates of the Northern Pacific Coast, 1987
Other Members of the Phylum Mollusca 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.

 

Dec. 2001 Joshua Vanwyck, PC yr. 28

Underwater testing of materials to be used in the Tidal current energy project

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Below: Installation of the Fouling Plates by Chris Blondeau and Pearson College Diving Students in July, 2005. This video shows the installation process for the research project carried out to determine which surfaces discouraged growth in the waters at Race Rocks.

 

 

In the spring of 2005, a set of plates made up of 5 different materials and coatings was deployed in the centre of the main channel, straight out from the docks at Race Rocks. This is the result on Nov 2005 results- (qualitative)

 

ONE YEAR LATER June 09, 2006

 

Blue water Diving — Pearson College Divers

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Henry Steinberg, Julia Clarke and Laura Verhegge do their first tether dive with Chris off the shores of Race Rocks in Race Passage. The apparatus for the dive was constructed by Henry Steinberg, a Pearson College diver, as part of a project in his PADI Divemasters course. This type of diving is useful for research purposes when one wants to sample jellyfish, salps or other macro-planktonic life forms which may otherwise be damaged if collected in a towed plankton net. It is also necessary as a safety measure for drift diving when the bottom is beyond safety limits, and there are currents involved such as here in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Elephant Seal Moulting

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Race Rocks is at the northern limit of distribution of the Elephant Seal. They often number from 2 to 3 large males and 4 or 5 females. Arriving in January, they usually stay through the summer on the middle island and then leave for several months in the winter. Elephant seals often undergo a juvenile moult on the local beaches of Victoria when several years old. This individual may be at the end of such a moult as it still has a few sore spots on it’s coat. They end up on beaches where they wallow in the sand to keep the flies off. Members of the public often report them to the “authorities” as being diseased in appearance as their skin is blistered and raw. There has even been an example in the past few years in the local Victoria area when an animal in such condition was reported to the authorities as sick and due to ignorance, the animal was shot by an animal control officer. Of course this outraged some of some local residents who had been observing it for weeks as it was going through the moult, but the mistake had been made. So humans — leave well enough alone. Misguided intervention is not helpful for this rather rare pinniped

The video of this female elephant was videoed off the South side of Race Rocks. It was done in hi 8 – before we had SONY cameras that would record in Digital. One can see the patchy skin typical of the moulting stage just behind the head. This seal had probably already gone through the most serious part of the juvenile moult, which may have occurred on one of the sandy beaches over near Metchosin. The barking in the background is from California sealions.