Artificial Tidepool #13 peg #5

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The rockwork done to seal the southern entrance

This artificial pool was made under permit from BC Parks by Mike Slater and Garry Fletcher in June, 1999. It is part of a long range succession study.
See also below for “AFTER the HURRICANE”

AFTER THE HURRICANE OF DECEMBER 15, 2006  (newspaper item)

Sturnus vulgaris: European Starlng-The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Starlings are of course, one of the worst introduced bird species in North America. Fortunately they are not that common at Race Rocks, as there are no nesting locations for them.
See postings referring to starlings at this link

This starling was trapped in a vent.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Sub-Phylum Vertebrata
Class Aves
Order Passerifomes
Family Sturnidaea
Genus Sturnus
Species vulgaris
Common Name: European Starling

 

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. G. Fletcher..2006

Peltodoris nobilis: Sea Lemon, The Race Rocks taxonomy

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A Sea Lemon that has just laid its eggs. Ryan took this image underwater at Race Rocks in the spring, 2009, it was formerly called Anisodoris nobilis

 

 

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda
Order Opisthobranchia
Family Nudibranchia
Genus Peltodoris
Species nobilis
Common Name: Sea Lemon

 

Other molluscs at Race Rocks

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File

Ryan Murphy

Phocoena phocoena: Harbour Porpoise–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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harbourdistrib

 

This map of distribution of the harbour porpoise is taken from the paper by Robin Baird. 1994. Status of Porpoises in the British Columbia/Washington Trans-Boundary Area: A Canadian Perspective

 

 

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Suborder: Odontoceti
Family: Phocoenidae
Genus: Phocoena
Species: P. phocoena
PugetSoundNotes1994

Originally accessed Dec 2014 at: http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/robin/PugetSoundNotes1994.pdf

Other Members of the Class Mammalia at Race Rock

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.  Garry Fletcher 2006

 

Wind at Race Rocks

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This video was taken with the remote camera 5 on Dec 11, 2006, a day which can be represented by the images of the atmospheric factors below. Note the wind speed was over 40 knots in the afternoon. The extreme pressure drop on the barometric graph was a good indicator that a big wind was coming.

It certainly can be seen as a wild mixture of weather for the day.

 

 

Distaplia smithi

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This video was taken in the lab:

A general view of the habitat of this ascidian in the high current area near the tidal current turbine.

A general view of the habitat of this ascidian in the high current area near the tidal current turbine.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Sub-Phylum Urochordata
Class Ascidiacea
Order Enterogona
sub order Aplousobranchia
Family Claveliidae
Genus Distaplia
Species smithi
Common Name:Club Tunicate

II took this picture the first time I encountered this ascidian when diving at Race Rocks. I had no idea what kind of organism it was at the time .. I referred to it as a grape ascidian .. GF

Other Members of the subphylum Urochordata 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.

October 2006- Garry Fletcher

Gammarus sp. The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Malacostraca
Order Amphipoda
Family Gammaridae
Genus Gammarus
Species sp.
Common Name:amphipod

These are very common in the low intertidal area and on beach drift. 

 
Other Members of the Phylum Arthropoda 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.

This file was originally written by Mohamed,  2005

 

Nereocystis on the beach

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Organisms are often involved in modifying the environment. The images in this file were taken in December 2006 after a strong north east wind pounded the lower end of Vancouver Island with the result that many Nereocystis ended up on local beaches near Race Rocks. Their stipes, lamina and holdfasts formed long twisted drifts of kelp, some of which would later decompose, adding to the energy flow from the marine ecosystem. Moreover, the presence of many kinds of materials carried along by the holdfasts provide an interesting insight into what contributes to accretion or buildup of materials along a coastline. (Che waits patiently while is master picks up seaweed!)

 

 

asa

Go to the taxonomy file on Bull kelp, Nereocystis leutkeana

Phocoenoides dalli: Dall’s Porpoise–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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PB_Dalls2Porpoises diving in the rip current just west of the main Island. Photos taken by Pam Birley on the remote camera 5 November 30, 2006

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Suborder: Odontoceti
Family: Phocoenidae
Genus: Phocoenoides
Species: P. dalli
Dall’s Porpoise
Other Members of the Class Mammalia at Race Rock

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.  Garry Fletcher 2006

 

Dichotomous Key for Animals of Race Rocks

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Description: This is a key to only the more common animals you may see using the remote cameras on Race Rocks. Use the taxonomy files to view others you may sight.

Go to the Race Rocks Taxonomy for more detailed descriptions of the organisms.

Number . Go to / and Identify
1a Bird 2
1b Mammal 30
2a Gull-like, white or brown 3
2b Non-gull 11
3a The Largest white-headed gull we see at Race Rocks. It is present March to October
Glaucous- winged gull
3b Other gulls 4
4a Present in large flocks – November to January. Colour white with beige-tinged flecks
Thayer’s gulls
4b Other gulls 5
5a White – smaller head with an outlined eye
Mew gulls  
5b Other gulls 6
6a Small white-headed gulls with black eyes and small black markings over the body. Often seen in flocks diving into the water… Aug to Dec.
Bonaparte’s gullsbonapartes
6b Brown or dark grey gull. 7
7a Grey gull, short tail
Immature Glaucous winged gull
7b Brown gulls 8
8a Brown mottled. appear November thru Feb.
Immature Thayer’s gulls
8b Brown Gull with orange beak. adults have white markings on the tail. Heerman’s Gull
9a For future additions.
9b
10a
10b NOTE : We are adding more birds frequently so they can not be anticipated in a key like this. Other gulls and shorebirds added since this key was made may be viewed in the Race Rocks Taxonomy files .. vertebrata-Aves-Charadriiformes

 

 

11a Predominantly black, long-necked bird:one of the 3 cormorant species 12
11b Birds other than gulls or cormorants: otherwise, all other shorebirds and land birds on Race Rocks. 14
12a Pale or yellow coloured face – present only during winter months
Double-crested cormorant
12b Predominantly black face 13
13a Light-coloured throat patch, males with white ears – present in January
Brandts’ cormorant
13b Snake-like neck, smallest of the cormorants
Pelagic cormorant
14a Black with white wing patches and red feet
Pigeon guillimot
14b Other shorebirds and landbirds and ducks/geese 15.
15a Shorebirds.and ducks/geese 16
15b Land birds.. shorter bills 21
16a Black with long red bill.. crow-sized
Black oyster-catcher
16b ducks or geese and other shorebirds 17
17a Small shorebird, often seen in winter near the fresh water pools. White breast, uppers mottled.black and white pattern in flight
Black turnstone
17b Duck or goose or land birds 18
18a Small colourful duck..swimming in kelp beds or perched very near shore
Harlequin Duck
18b Geese and other birds 19
19a Geese 20
19b Other birds 21
20a Large Goose, Black neck with white throat. Nests in April
Canada Goose
20b Half the size of the Canada goose, only rarely appears. white neck-ring and black chest.
Black Brant Goose
21a Black- Crow-like bird 22
21b Other birds,and songbirds 24
22a Large black bird with thick bill. They are as large as Glaucous-winged gulls
Raven
22b Medium sized black bird smaller than Glaucous winged gulls. go to 23
23a Large black bird , the bill is finer than a raven’s
North-western Crow
23b Small balckish bird, speckled with color
European
Starling
24a Very Large brown and white bird with a long bill equipped with a pouch
Brown
Pelican
24b Other shorebirds go to 25
25a Long legged, and long necked bird… heron -like
Great Blue
Heron
25b Other shorebirds go to 26
26 Brown shorebird with long bill curved downward. Brown eye- line.
Whimbrel

 

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30a Always found in water, with fins, and a large, flat, two-pointed tail – Whales, Dolphins, Porpoises 31
30b Often found resting on land or on rocks – size of a dog or larger 37
31a Black with a large white patch on the belly, greater than 4m long, males with large dorsal fin (1m high or greater)
Orca,
Killer whale
31b Not black or without white patches 32
32a Smaller, light grey colour, flippers smooth on edges
Gray whale
32b Other marine mammals 33
33a Large whale, dark grey to black, with distinct ridged underbelly, flippers jagged on edges. usually seen solitary.
Humpback whale ” alt=”humpback” width=”129″ height=”107″ border=”2″ />
33b Small porpoise often seen in pods, leaping in the waves.
Dall’s
Porpoise
34a spare room for future whales and porpoises. See the taxonomy for other species that have been sighted near Race Rocks
34b
37a Lie prone on land, rocks, or very shallow water; when swimming, are mostly submerged – Earless seals 38
37b May be sitting on their elbows or lying prone on land; often visible swimming in the water; colour beige through chocolate. 39
38a White through black colouration, may have young from April through July
Harbour seal
38b May be very large; length up to 4m; males have a bulbous nose; colour grey through chocolate.. present year round.Females smaller, usually on the top of middle rock, but not year round.
Elephant seal
39a Small; furry animals the size of a cat or dog
 Otters go to 41
39b Sea lions 40
40a High-browed; chocolate coloured
California sea lion
40b Round forehead; light beige coloured; may be twice as large as California sea lion
Northern sea lion (Steller’s sea lion)
41a Small; long tail; runs on all fours on land may appear as serpent-like in water. River otter
41b Small: always in the water,often  lies in kelp beds on back sea otter