Tag Archives: salinity

Saturday Update

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Nothing too wild to report today! I find myself tripping over more and more gull nests as each day passes but thankfully none have shown any aggression so far.

Our YSI unit that measures the salinity and temperature for sea water data has decided to stop working so today I learned how to use the old sampling method. I ended up with the same numbers as I’ve been getting all month so I think I managed to do it somewhat successfully! While I was collecting the water sample at the end of the jetty I had a curious little helper who was very intrigued by my bucket. She gave it an inspection and a boop with her nose before disappearing under the water and leaving me to my work.

No other creatures paid me a visit today but I did come across the unfortunate demise of a gumboot chiton that a gull dropped on the jetty. Very neat to see up close!

** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

Salinity Saturday

Image

A relatively calm Saturday on the Rock provided ample opportunity to finish off various tasks I didn’t quite have the time to complete over the last week – including the monthly calibration of our salinity measurements. What’s that, you ask?

For decades, Race Rocks has been an important site for collecting seawater data – thus creating a valuable longitudinal data set. Every day at maximum flood,* a measurement is taken from the end of the jetty (lifejackets mandatory, especially in rough conditions!), recording both current salinity and temperature.

The digital Salinometre

It’s a quick and straightforward process – submerge the probe to a depth of 1m / 3ft, wait for the readings to stabilise, and press ‘Enter’ to save the data. But it wasn’t always thus – and once a month, the Salinometre is calibrated using the ‘old method’ – i.e., collecting water with rope & bucket, transferring it to a beaker on the workbench, measuring temperature and specific gravity, and then working out salinity using the charts provided.

It’s a bit more complex than the digital measurement – but always reassuring to see the results align!

______
*or, historically, an hour before high tide

 

Ecological Notes: 

  • Sealion numbers continue to increase steadily, with nearly half a dozen naughty ones hauling out on the docks all day

Facility Work:

  • Electric fence repairs, esp in SW sector
  • Solar panel clean
  • Weekly battery water topup
  • Pressure washed approx 1/2 of paths
  • Desalination

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • Numerous ecotourism vessels as the holiday weekend kicks off
  • A lone visitor on a jetski – first time I’ve ever seen one in the reserve!

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?id=72

Seawater Data June 2022

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DAILY SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY OBSERVATIONS
Station RACE ROCKS.                     June 2022
Observer Derek/Jillian
Day Time Temp ºC Salinity ppt
1 3:45 9.2 32.2
2 4:15 9.2 32.3
3 5:00 9.3 32.2
4 5:30 9.3 32.1
5 6:35 9.4 32.2
6 7:30 9.4 32.0
7 9:00 9.3 32.1
8 10:00 9.4 32.2
9 10:30 9.6 31.9
10 11:20 9.7 31.7
11 12:00 9.7 31.7
12 12:45 9.2 32.2
13 1:30 9.7 32.4
14 2:25 9.5 32.2
15 3:00 9.6 32.1
16 5:35 9.5 32.2
17 4:45 9.3 32.5
18 5:40 9.3 32.5
19 6:35 9.7 32.1
20 7:35 9.9 32.1
21 8:00 10.1 31.7
22 8:45 10.1 31.7
23 9:10 10.2 31.5
24 11:05 10.1 31.7
25 11:55 10.1 31.8
26 12:38 10.4 31.5
27 1:20 10.6 31.3
28 1:40 10.1 31.5
29 2:50 10.4 31.0
30 2:40 10.4 31.3

Water testing

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Ecological Notes:

  • 8 Elephant seals still on the grass mostly, 2 went for swims today

In addition to full time awareness, this is why you always use a broad beam flashlight at night!

  • Canada Goose nest from yesterday produced only the 2 goslings, other eggs gone now, may have been non- viable and left for the gulls

Facility Work:

  • More firewood

Feature Event:

  • In addition to daily Temperature and Salinity tests with digital equipment, it’s good to do monthly checks with the older methods, out of interest, and can be used to test the calibrations of the new equipment.

 

Weather Events:

  • Clear and sunny all day, clouds on the perimeter.  Winds westerly 15 – 20 knots, rising to 25 – 30 knots late in the afternoon.

 

** All photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

 

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

January 2021 Sea Surface Temperature & Salinity

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Also available from DFO here, along with data from other sites on the West Coast.

Daily Sea Surface Temperature and Salinity Observations
Station: Race Rocks
Observer: Tristan Blaine
Month: Jan-21
Day Time Temp °C Sal ppt
1 17:00 8.2 31.5
2 14:30 8.2 31.4
3 15:30 8.2 31.5
4 20:30 8.1 31.5
5 12:30 8.1 31.4
6 11:00 8.2 31.3
7 12:00 8.2 31.3
8 10:30 8.4 30.8
9 13:30 8.1 31.2
10 13:30 8.2 31.3
11 13:30 8.2 31.3
12 15:30 8.2 31.3
13 15:30 8.3 31.3
14 15:00 8.2 31.2
15 11:30 8.2 31.3
16 15:30 8.2 31.2
17 14:00 8.3 31.1
18 11:00 8.2 31.2
19 8:30 8.1 31.3
20 8:30 8.1 31.2
21 8:30 8 31
22 8:30 7.7 30.9
23 9:30 7.6 30.7
24 11:00 7.9 30.5
25 14:30 8.1 30.6
26 13:00 7.1 30.8
27 14:30 8 30.9
28 14:30 7.9 31.1
29 15:30 8 31.3
30 15:30 8 31.3
31 11:30 8.1 31.3

December 2020 Sea Water Data

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Also available from DFO here, along with data from other sites on the West Coast.

December 2020:

Day Time Temp °C Sal ppt
1 14:00 8.7 31.7
2 14:30 8.7 31.5
3 15:00 8.6 31.6
4 * * *
5 * * *
6 * * *
7 19:30 8.7 31.7
8 20:30 8.6 31.6
9 8:30 8.6 31.5
10 9:30 8.5 31.5
11 10:30 8.6 31.6
12 11:00 8.5 31.7
13 12:00 8.6 31.8
14 13:00 8.5 31.7
15 13:45 8.7 31.6
16 15:00 8.3 32
17 16:40 8.3 32.3
18 15:45 8.4 31.9
19 16:20 8.3 31.8
20 10:00 8.5 31.9
21 10:30 8.1 31.7
22 8:00 8 31.9
23 9:30 8.1 31.8
24 10:30 7.9 31.6
25 10:00 8 31.6
26 10:30 8.2 31.3
27 10:00 8.2 31.3
28 11:00 8.1 31.3
29 12:00 8.1 31.5
30 17:00 8.1 31.7
31 16:00 8.1 31.6

Seawater Data: Salinity and Temperature, November 2020

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Also available from DFO here, along with data from other sites on the West Coast.

November -2020:

DATE time Degrees-C Salinity-ppt
1 13:30 9 32.3
2 14:30 9.2 31.8
3 15:00 9.3 31.7
4 16:00 9.3 31.8
5 –
6 –
7 –
8 –
9 8:00 9.2 31.6
10 9:00 9.3 31.7
11 10:00 9.1 31.5
12 11:00 9.2 31.3
13 12:00 9 31.7
14 12:30 8.8 32
15 13:00 8.6 32.2
16 14:00 8.7 31.9
17 14:30 8.8 31.7
18 15:30 8.7 31.8
19 16:30 8.6 31.6
20 –
21 –
22 8:00
23 9:00 8.8 31.8
24 10:00 9 31.7
25 10:30 9.1 31.8
26 11:00 9 31.9
27 12:00 8.8 31.6
28 12:30 8.9 31.5
29 13:00 8.9 31.6
30 13:30 8.8 31.7

Seawater Data: Salinity and Temperature, October, 2020

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Also available from DFO here, along with data from other sites on the West Coast.

October -2020:

DATE time Degrees-C Salinity-ppt
 1 13:30 10.5 31.8
2 14:20 10.6 31.7
3 15:00 10.6 31.8
4 15:15 10.5 31.6
5 15:30 10.9 31.1
6 16:15 10.6 31.5
7 16:50 11 30.9
8 –
9 7:00 10.6 30.8
10 7:30 10.4 30.9
11 8:15 10.2 31.2
12 9:45 10.3 31.4
13 10:30 10.2 31.3
14 11:45 10.3 31.5
15 12:00 10.2 31.7
16 12:30 10.1 31.9
17 14:00 9.9 32
18 14:30 10.6 32.3
19 15:00 9.7 32.1
20 16:00 9.8 32
21 16:30 10 31.7
22 –
23 7:30 9.9 31.6
24 9:00 9.7 31.5
25 10:00 9.6 31.2
26 10:30 9.4 31.5
27 11:00 9.7 31.3
28 12:00 9.7 31.4
29 12:40 9.8 31.2
30 13:00 9.8 31.6
31 13:30 9.7 31.9

Seawater Data: Temperature and Salinity September, 2020

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Also available from DFO here, along with data from other sites on the West Coast.

September -2020:

DATE time Degrees-C Salinity-ppt
1 14:00 11.6 31.1
2 15:00 11.8 31
3 15:30 11.2 31.3
4 16:00 12.1 31.2
5 16:30 11.7 31.5
6 17:05 12.1 32.1
7 17:30 11.6 32.1
8 18:00 11.8 31.9
9 18:20 12 30.6
10 7:30 11.8 30.4
11 8:00 12 30.5
12 9:30 11.9 30.4
13 10:30 11.9 30.4
14 11:45 11.8 30.4
15 12:30 11.8 30.8
16 13:00 11.6 31
17 13:30 11.4 31.5
18 14:00 11 31.7
19 15:00 11.1 31.6
20 16:00 10.8 31.8
21 16:30 9.1 32.8
22 17:40 9.8 32.1
23 18:00 9.7 32.5
24 8:00 9.9 31.8
25 9:30 10.4 31.5
26 10:30 10.3 31.6
27 11:30 10.5 31.4
28 12:30 10.9 31.7
29 13:00 10.8 31.6
30 13:40 10.7 31.5

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