2013 WSU Vancouver Marine Invertebrate Communities (Biol 486) blog

Beginning on 5 June 2013, a group of WSU Vancouver students will take part in a field course to observe marine invertebrates in their native habitats using a natural history and ecological approach.  We will explore communities along the southern Oregon coast ranging from the rocky intertidal habitat at Cape Blanco to the sand dunes north of Coos Bay.  Sandy beaches, estuaries, and mud flat communities will also be explored. Participants will reside and work at a marine lab on the southern Oregon coast.

This blog will describe the activities and habitats explored by Marine Intertidal Communities participants.

Thursday – 6 June 2013

1. Berger
   

Participants met on the WSU Vancouver campus at 8:15 A.M. to load the van with equipment and personal items for our time out at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB).  After successfully loading the van, with room for everyone to sit comfortably, we departed WSUV at 9:00 A.M. and began the 5 hour drive.  We did stop in Eugene, Oregon, for a lunch break.

We arrived on schedule on at OIMB, around 3 P.M.  After a brief tour of campus, we made our way over to the office and sorted out the details of our accommodations.  We unloaded our equipment in the lab we will be using this week and everyone settled into their new accommodations.  Besides a group of University of Oregon Students who are finishing up their Spring quarter, we are the only group on campus.  We had one dormitory to ourselves, with everyone in their own individual room.  The rooms have a bed, desk, and closet and are conveniently located above the dining hall.

 

Lab space at OIMB

View of the dining hall on the OIMB campus

After settling in, a group walked down to the beach to look around at some of the invertebrates inhabiting the shoreline.  Everyone was surprised, as a few orcas swam by.  The timing was great!  Finally, it was time for dinner in the dining hall.  Everyone was rewarded with a tasty burrito dinner.

Invertebrates in a tide pool

The ochre star, Pisaster ochraceus

An orca in the distance

Following dinner, we had a lively discussion for approximately one hour, on the role of natural history in science.  We took a break for a few minutes, walked over to the lab, and had a lecture on fluid dynamics and the adaptations of marine organisms to a fluid environment.  We concluded the evening by organizing the field equipment we will need for the following day and load the van in preparation for an early departure at 5 A.M. the next morning!

Friday morning – 7 June 2013

Rachel Boneski

Our first day of research started out with clear weather. We headed to South Cove in Cape Arago State Park to begin our intertidal exploration. We began by hiking in early morning at low tide, across slippery rocks abundantly coated with invertebrate and algal life. In groups of three and four, we prepared two transects of six meters; one in the lower intertidal zone and one in the upper intertidal zone. We used a quadrat to measure diversity every two meters along each transect. To keep from biasing our selection of plot location, we tossed a rock over our shoulder and sampled where it landed. Within each sample, we counted the number of invertebrate organisms of each species present and calculated what percent of the quadrant was occupied by each species. This was done to get a better understanding of the diversity within each tidal zone. 

 

South cove intertidal habitat

 

Sampling diversity in an intertidal ecosystem

A key finding of this survey was that there is more invertebrate diversity, as well as abundance, in the lower intertidal zone than in the upper intertidal zone. This is because organisms are submerged longer in the lower intertidal and therefore can sustain a larger variety of organisms; including those that lack the ability to withstand prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures. Some organisms that are predominately in the lower intertidal zone include starfish and chitins. Organisms commonly found in the upper zone are barnacles and mussels.

 

The sunflower star, Pycnopodia helianthoides

 

A large gumboot chiton, Cryptochiton stelleri

After completing our intertidal investigation, we measured how far above mean lower low water our study sites were. This was completed using two measuring poles and a level to determine change in elevation.

 

Measuring change in elevation with a sight level

A humorous part of the day included a classmate slipping into a tidal pool and getting soaked through to his skin. Interestingly, he just so happened to be the one wearing full raingear and insulated rubber boots. We laughed at his expense, but he was laughing too, so it was all in good spirits.

After leaving the intertidal zone, we traveled to a viewpoint overlooking a part of the ocean that was abundant with marine mammals, such as sea lions, elephant seals, harbor seals, and even grey whales. The seals and sea lions were intriguing to observe as they currently are in breeding season. The males barked loud enough that they could be heard from roughly a half of a mile away and over the sound of the surf. It was fun to impersonate their barking sounds and their waddle-like movements. Two grey whales were passing by; we used binoculars to see their tails and backs.

Seals and sea lions at Simpsons Reef.

The morning was educational, as well as enjoyable and memorable!

 

South Cove at Cape Arago State Park.

Friday afternoon – 7 June 2013

Danielle Paiva Voisin

We began or afternoon with a short drive to a small cove named Lighthouse Beach, where we explored the sandy shoreline and the surrounding rocky cliffs. The hidden treasures of this ecosystem were subtle and surprising. Using shovels, we were able to unearth small arthropods called mole-crabs that burrow in the sand and filter-feed off passing waves. Tucked beneath the feathered appendages of several of the mole-crabs were brightly-colored orange eggs, which the females broods. To our surprise, further digging also unearthed a polychaete worm, which resembled a giant earthworm with numerous delicate legs. Other small isopods were also seen jumping about on the sand and consuming decaying seaweed. Although the species numbers and diversity were not as great as seen in the tidal pools earlier this morning, the creatures found in this sandy environment were undoubtedly just as captivating.

Sampling for invertebrates in the sand at Lighthouse beach

A mole crab, Emerita analoga

The steep cliffs rising up from the beach were host to a multitude of other wonders. The crags were composed of tilted beds of flaky sedimentary rock that crumbled away at the lightest touch. The faces of the rock also oozed freshwater, staining the sand below red with iron deposits and providing habitat for various algae. Tiny terrestrial isopods were seen hiding within the cliff’s rock fractures alongside limpets and sea snails seeking shelter form the baking sun. Plants also inhabited the crevices, some of them blooming with lovely pink and yellow flowers and clinging to the rock faces with amazingly tenacious roots. The most startling find of all was discovered on an enormous rock lying vertically along the beach. Scattered within a layer of the rock were dozens of tiny fossils, one of them being a perfectly preserved snail shell.

Intertidal habitat at Lighthouse beach

Panoramic view of Lighthouse beach

With our short adventure of sandy shore habitat concluded, we drove back to OIMB to attend a lecture by a researcher named Eric Crandall. His work focused on coral atolls and whether or not they act as stepping stones that facilitate gene flow in nertid snails. The presentation was fascinating and provided interesting insight on how gene flow is maintained over large distances as well as how the distribution of atolls plays a key role in how far genes can be distributed. Our lecture was followed by a delicious dinner and a short presentation by Dr. Berger on estuaries. With a basic understanding of what estuaries are and how they function, tomorrow should prove to be just as educational and surprising.

Saturday morning – 8 June 2013

Dmitriy Mudryy

Our plan for Saturday morning was to leave the OIMB campus to sample a soft substrate habitat at 5:15 A.M., but our plan was a slightly slowed down when one of the students was a little late. When we eventually left campus, the weather was windy, cloudy, and misty.  We arrived at the survey site at about 5:40 A.M. On site the wind increased and the fog started to roll in. While braving the wind we proceeded to the site where our experiment was planned.

Sampling for bivalves in the fog

The goal of our survey was to determine the level of diversity and abundance in the soft substrate habitat. We were going to dig for clams along a transect length of 30 meters, with quadrants at 5 meter intervals. Each of the quadrants sampled were 50 cm by 50 cm and were 30 cm deep. Clams were not be found at the first two quadrants, so in order to reach a habitat that was theoretically more hospitable to clams, the distance between the quadrants was increased to 10 meters. To compensate for the increase of distance between each quadrant, the length of transect was increased to 50 meters. This change was favorable and allowed us to reach the habitat that was favorable to clams at faster rate. Most of the clams found where buried at a low level or in a zone with little oxygen in the sediment.

A bivalve sample plot in a soft-sediment habitat

While digging for clams, we noticed that the sediment had distinct layers of oxygen richness. The first 6 mm of sand were light brown, which indicated that this sediment was oxygen rich. The deeper layers were growing darker, indicating a lack of oxygen that causes an inhospitable environment for most organisms.  The clams are able to be in this oxygen-lacking zone because they are able to extend their siphons out of the sand and exchange gas.

After finishing the investigation along the 50 meter transect, we measured elevation above the tide-line for each plot sampled.  Using a level and a marked 2 meter stick, we found that the clams preferred to burrow in lower elevations relative to the tide.

We found crabs hiding in eelgrass during low tide. There was a male crab that was protecting a female crab. We assumed that one of the reasons he was protecting her is that he was intending to mate with her.  Finding the two crabs was nice surprise after a cold and windy morning.

After everyone finished their field work and we measured the tide level, we headed back to campus. Everyone was tired and cold, some to a greater degree than others, but we all learned that just because sediment is called soft it does not mean that it is an easy place to live in.

Saturday afternoon- 8 June 2013

David Walker

After eating lunch at the Oregon Institute Marine Biology (OIMB) cafeteria, our class proceeded to meet in the laboratory and from there, headed toward the Charleston Boat Basin Docks. Before leaving, we gathered our supplies and then walked across the street to the boat docks. The weather was perfect; blue skies and slightly mild winds.

Panoramic view of the Inner Boat Basin in Charleston, Oregon

During our visit at the boat docks, we immediately noticed all the diverse organisms living on the submerged areas of the pier.  Most of us were not expecting to find an environment abundant in life. As eager scientists, we all laid flat on the wharf and began to grab, poke, and scrap different organisms off of the underside of the docks. Many of us noticed that organisms were not only underneath the docks, but they were also stuck to ropes, buoys, and boats. Much of what we saw were: mussels, barnacles, sponges, anemones, tube worms, juvenile and larval crabs, sea squirts, sea slugs, sea cucumbers, and one jelly fish that we thought we accidentally killed!

Collecting invertebrates from the Boat Basin docks

 

A very large and well fed ochre star, Pisaster ochraceus

Once finished, we headed back to the laboratory to do further observations and to experiment with the specimens we collected. In the lab, students were able to look at samples  with microscopes and perform various experiments. One of the experiments involved a siliceous sponge, Halichondria bowerbanki, which is a common  sponge species. We used bleach and 8% hydrochloric acid (HCl) to determine if the spicules were made out of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) or silica. Bleach was used to dissolve organic tissue, so that only spicules  would remain. While, HCl was used to determine if the spicules would dissolve. If spicules did dissolve they were made out of CaCO3, however, if spicules did not dissolve then they were made of silica. In this experiment we found that spicules did not dissolve, therefore the sponge was made out of silica. Other specimens found from the dock were analyzed under microscopes, including: ascidians, a sea cucumber, nudibranchs, an isopod, a peanut worm, and a broken back shrimp. Other experiments were done on sponges to observe their intake and expulsion of water by using fluorescent dyes; however, the sponges were mostly in shock from being removed from the docks. Near the end, one of the sponges was observed taking in the dye and expelling it out of a few of its osculum.
Examining collected invertebrates in the lab
Observing flow with dye in the breadcrumb sponge, Halichondria bowerbanki

After completing a long day of exploring a soft substrate habitat and the Charleston Boat Basin Docks, we all had some extra down time before dinner. Once dinner was ready at 5:30 pm, everyone was anxious to eat. Dinner was exceptionally good. Our night ended with a final discussion of how experimental design is implemented in order to have a good sampling hypothesis. Our evening was capped off by a few of us retreating to the beach to have some R&R, while others were relaxing in their rooms or studying for the next day’s big adventure in the South Slough Estuary .

Sunday – 9 June 2013

Kim Harless

At 6:00 A.M. we left the OIMB campus to head to our first site; the ocean inlet side of the South Slough Estuary, just offshore from Charleston, Oregon. Salinity, pH, and water temperature were taken at three sites; an area near the  ocean end of the estuary, an area near the middle of the estuary, and lastly, the latter part of the estuary near the river inlet.

Panoramic view of the South Slough estuary
Unlike what we saw yesterday, at the soft substrate habitat, the hypoxic layer at the first South Slough Estuary site was much deeper.  The surface was covered in holes that were the openings to ghost shrimp, Neotrypaea californiensis, burrows. We attempted to dig one up and accidentally impaled the spade through half of it. Dmitriy expressed our sentiment well, by saying, “may you rest in pieces”, as we placed the two halves back into the hole and reburied it. By making burrows, the ghost shrimp creates bioturbation within the sediment and brings oxygen-rich air into the oxygen-poor substrate. Other species found at the first site included: tubeworms, a jellyfish, Taylor’s sea hare (Phyllaplysia taylori), eelgrass isopods (Idotea resecata), and crabs.

Phyllaplysia taylori – A cryptic nudibranch, Taylor’s sea hare, and eggs found on eel grass, Zostera marina

Salt marsh in the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
The second site involved a beautiful hike through the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve. There, we encountered some of the largest skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus) most of us had ever seen, as we munched on salmonberries that grew  around them. While we hiked towards the estuary, the plant life changed drastically, the skunk cabbage and salmonberries were replaced with grasses, sedges, cedars, evergreen trees, and spruce.

Skunk cabbage patch

Exploring a soft-sediment habitat in the estuary
At the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, we also got to learn about the natural history of the site, the dikes, logging, and Dr. Berger’s graduate research. Here we tested the water again, which  was very turbid. The eelgrass helps with the turbidly by aggregating particles in the water and prevents erosion. This site was found to be warmer, less saline, and roughly the same pH as the first site.

Upper end of the South Slough estuary
The last site was the most riverine of the three. Compared to the two previous study sites, salinity was near zero, temperature was the same, but the pH was a bit more acidic.  Here, we attempted to analyze the boundary layer in the estuary, but the winds were making the flow very turbulent. We added a safe fluorescent dye to the water at different depths from the bottom to the top of the water column in an effort to measure water velocity. Due to wind and limited water clarity, it was difficult  to see the dye and measure water velocity..

Measuring the benthic boundary layer
We arrived back on the OIMB campus around 11 A.M., had lunch at noon, and then took turns meeting with Dr. Berger about our research proposals and receiving advice on how to improve our experiments design. There are five groups of paired students that will each be designing and performing their own individual research project. Tomorrow, we will be in the field conducting experiments at Cape Blanco State Park, near Port Orford, Oregon.

Monday morning – 10 June 2013

Steve Flowers

We started out day at the earliest time so far, disembarking for Cape Blanco at 04:00 hours. Due to the amount of time we would spend in the field, we brought bag breakfast and lunch  to eat on our journey. We had roughly a one hour drive to Cape Blanco, where fellow classmates were still a bit sleepy, causing some of them to nap. Once we arrived, we all huddled behind the van to seek shelter from the strong wind.  We descended down the beautifully scenic hillside to the beach, as the sun began to rise behind us. We broke into our groups and started  our work.

Sleeping on the early morning drive to Cape Blanco

View of hillside above Cape Blanco intertidal region

Sunrise at Cape Blanco

Cape Blanco Intertidal Ecosystem

My partner Evan and I began finding areas that suited our experiment, which was studying colony size, density, and structure of the aggregating anemone, Anthopleura elegantissima, in high and low intertidal areas. After surveying our first two rocks, we concluded we would have to modify our research question in order to collect enough data within the allotted amount of time. Unfortunately, our new research question rendered our initial data set irrelevant and we had to discard it. We then began collecting data for our new experiment, to find out if there was a difference in the density of anemone colonies found further from the shoreline, compared to anemones closer to the shoreline.   In order to do this, we randomly placed quadrats on rocks with an elevation at least one meter above MLLW.

Examining anemone colony size

Another group conducting research was Rachel and Dmitriy, who were investigating the stomach contents of giant green anemones, Anthopleura xanthogrammica. They found that this species eats mussels , crabs, colonial anthozoans, bryozoans, ctenophores, and snails. Despite  being surrounded  by snails, only one sampled anemone had ingested a snail. They encountered a few problems in their research, such as finding out that anemones were not eager to lose their breakfast and that their stinging cells will cause minor pain and swelling to humans if you are repeatedly stung in one spot.

Using a sight level to measuring change in elevation

Joe and Danielle made up the third research group, and they looked at the ochre sea star’s Pisaster ochraceus) relationship to inter-tidal height above the mean low tide mark. They examined their color, size, what they had been eating and the size of their prey. An unexpected find was observing   that a purple shore crab, Hemigrapsus nudus, was consumed by an anemone

Quantifying seastar feeding

The fourth research group included Max and Tori, who measured shell length and thickness in mussels, to find out if there is a difference between mussels on wave exposed rocks compared to mussels inhabiting wave sheltered rocks. Using a caliper they measured mussels on both sides of individual rocks.

Measuring mussel shell thickness

The final group was composed  of Kim and David, who examined the relationship of rock size and biodiversity in intertidal zones. They hypothesized that medium sized rocks would have the highest biodiversity , since smaller rocks in intertidal zones are moved around too much to make them viable habitats for lots of organisms. To speed up the data recording process, they used nick names for the species they found, such as “green flat pigs feet.”
Identifying intertidal seaweed

As each group finished their project and waited for others to finish, they climbed up a small hill near the beach to relax in the sun and discuss the events of the morning. Evan and I were forced to wrap up our experiment quickly when time ran out and we enlisted the help of Dmitriy and Danielle to take a measurement for us while we counted anemone colonies at our final test site. Around 10:30 we collected all the equipment and headed back to the van, bellies rumbling. We loaded up the van and drove south to a spot on the Elk River for lunch, rest, and even a short dip in the water.

 

Monday afternoon- 10 June 2013

Joe McGill

After a great morning gathering data for our research projects, we retired up the road into the hills for lunch on the Elk River. We stopped at the juncture of two mountain streams where the water was crystal clear and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. After eating our lunches, a few of the group laid down on the warm rocks to relax, one decided to try her luck at cliff climbing and a few of us went exploring up one of the streams to see what we could find.

A view from our lunch spot on the Elk River

Even after an entire morning of looking for marine organisms, the hunt for wildlife continued. We found several freshwater animals in our search including a small salamander, a newt, and several fingerling fish. It seems that when a group of naturalists gets into nature, the observation and discovery of the surroundings never ends.

Looking for animals in a stream

After lunch we packed back into the van and got comfortable for the long ride back to the OIMB dorms. A few caught some much needed shuteye in the back and those who could not sleep discussed the day and plans for what they would do upon our arrival at OIMB. Upon our return, a majority of the group settled down for a good nap, while a few of us got a head start on compiling our field data to get ahead on our preparations for tomorrow’s research presentations.

Before dinner, most of us had gathered in the dining hall and were diligently working with our partners on our research projects. Dinner was a minor interruption in our preparations, as we all got right back to work on our data analysis and presentations as soon as dinner concluded.

We all met back in the dining hall at eight o’clock and headed down to the beach for a bonfire and group discussion. While roasting marshmallows and eating s’mores, the group had a very engaging discussion on global warming, its effects on marine ecosystems, as well as possible solutions to the issue. Some of the ideas discussed were alternative energy, community education, and leading by example.

Bonfire discussion on climate change in marine ecosystems

After the bonfire discussion we broke up, some of us relaxed and played a board game, a few went upstairs to the dorm to unwind with some friendly discussion, and a couple went to bed as it had been a long day. Being almost midnight now, I myself am going to check out for the night for some much needed rest myself, as tomorrow looks to be an exciting day out on the water aboard the R/V Pluteus

Tuesday morning – 11 June 2013

Max Wright

Before boarding a boat that would take us from Charleston to the open ocean, we woke up bright and early, ate a fair portion of breakfast, and medicated ourselves for the impending boat ride. It was important to be well rested and well prepared for a four hour-long trip out on the ocean. Our boat ride was dependent upon the weather forecast and wave height. The condition was as follows: If the weather was volatile, then we were unable to traverse the high seas. Since the weather was sufficient, predicted to be sunny, moderately warm, and clear, we were cleared to go on as planned. After putting on necessary life jackets, we boarded the R/V Pluteus at 8:20 A.M. sharp in the Charleston Boat Basin. The boat was solely crewed and commanded by a retired Coast Guard officer.  The Captain lectured us on safety and then we set off into the ocean!!!

R/V Pluteus

Boat Basin harbor

The purpose of this excursion was to collect a few live specimens at sea, examine them and release them, and to synthesize the techniques we have been exposed to in the last week during our data collecting.  Also, it was a pristine opportunity to bond with one another during our trek. Within close proximities of one another, we discussed an assortment of matters among ourselves, such as, seasickness, our research projects, and the weather; all hoping that the overcast day would be clear skies as predicted. As the boat slowly motored out of the harbor, a visible harbor seal, Phoca vitulina, and Stellar’s sea lion, Eumentopias jabutus, were lazily perched on top of the dock. The Stellar’s sea lion in particular, looked as if he or she was far from starvation; it also made tremendous vocalizations to an unknown comrade.

Stellar’s sea lion resting on a dock in the Boat Basin

Group photo on board the R/V Pluetus

Watching the benthic trawl in the water

As our boat picked up speed on the high seas, several people succumbed to seasickness. This was likely a causation of the turbulent waves that swayed the boat rapidly from one direction to another.  No matter the force exerted on our boat, we all kept our composure as the waves came rolling in. Our boat came to a stop approximately two miles from the shoreline, to begin trawling. We used a trawling net to collect specimens. This device filters out water while capturing live specimens. Each trawl was dumped onto the boat’s deck for examination. The specimens collected during the trawling were: brittle stars, , comb jellies, basket stars, bushy bryozoans, sea sponges, broken back shrimp, and a smooth ink scallop, Chlamys rubida.

View of the coastline

A shrimp captured in the trawl

The sun was visible as we returned to Charleston. All in all, this boat excursion provided us with the opportunity to see creatures that inhabit deep-sea crevices of the Pacific Ocean. The trip was well worth it!

Tuesday afternoon- 11 June 2013

Victoria Cantelow

After roughly half the class lost their first warm meal during the week long adventure, it was a good thing we landed back on dry land with a 15 minute window to stabilize our stomachs for lunch. After a scrumptious lunch, the merchandise closet was opened up for any off us who wanted an OIMB souvenir.  Then everyone broke off into their independent research groups to analyze the data collected yesterday at Cape Blanco and prepare a presentation to present after dinner in the classroom.

 

Independent research presentation preparation

Once everyone was finished with creating  their presentations, Rachel gathered everyone up to start designing a class shirt. The leading colors were crimson and charcoal with sky blue in last place to some people’s great dismay. After thought and collaboration, it was decided that each student would draw their favorite invertebrate and an ocean floor scene or collage would be created out of all of them on the back of the shirt. A sponge was decided on for the front of the shirt with WSUV bubble letters being pumped from the osculum. Everyone was busy sketching in the cafeteria when the dinner bell rang and we had a delicious dinner, once again, with the option to use chopsticks. One of the kitchen staff was nice enough to take a picture of our last supper.
Last dinner at OIMB

Presentations began in the classroom around 6:45, with five groups of two either using a visual aid of a PowerPoint or the chalkboard. It was intriguing to hear what everyone had accomplished with their research project the day before. Each group only had a limited amount of time to conduct their research before the tide came in, which resulted in not being able to observe the activities of others. Presentations concluded around 8:30 P.M. and were followed by completing course evaluations in the cafeteria. The rest of our last night here was spent having a campfire at the beach and having interesting conversations.

Presenters presenting:

Wednesday – 12 June 2013

Evan Hendrickson

Our last day at OIMB  was relaxing and everyone was happy for a chance to sleep in until breakfast at seven in the morning. The group gathered in the cafeteria for French toast and the inevitable cup of coffee to wake us up for the rest of the day.

We started off at 8 am in the lab trying to remember  which of the invertebrates  we had collected over the week had come from which site: Cape Arago, Lighthouse Beach, the Boat Basin docks, or the soft sediment habitat. After we had separated all the organisms into  buckets based on location, we piled into the van and headed to Cape Arago, the site of our first visit on Friday, June 7.

The weather at the beach was impeccable and much of the class was taking off their warmer layers in no time. We walked around the intertidal area searching for organisms and applying the knowledge we had learned over the course of the past week. I found a juvenile rock crab with an interesting shell pattern and Rachel found a set of fishing tackle that had been lost by some unlucky fisherman. There were a couple of unfortunate, but injury free falls at Cape Arago and Joe found out that barnacles can be quite sharp. We released all the animals we had taken from the cape on Friday, including some purple shore crabs and a giant sunflower starfish. We had also captured two noble sea lemons, but were unable to differentiate between those caught at Cape Arago and the boat basin, so those were taken back to WSU Vancouver.

Exploring the interidal at Cape Arago

As we made our way toward the trail up to the van, we encountered a plethora of children out on a school field trip during their last week of school. We watched the children explore the beach with the type of awe and excitement that only a child can have, while we waited for the rest of the classes to make their way down the trail to the beach. We also took this opportunity to take a class photo on the beach.

We were soon in the van again and headed back to OIMB, but we made sure to stop at Lighthouse Beach on the way so I could run down the trail and return the mole crabs we had collected. The tide was much further out at this time compared to our previous visit and it gave me a new perspective on the beach and the intertidal area below it. I ran back up the hill to the van and the class was soon back on campus.

At this point we split into groups in order to get the rest of our duties accomplished before lunch. Several students walked the remaining organisms down to the boat basin docks and released them. Another group volunteered to vacuum up all the sand that had accumulated inside the van. This left the third group to clean up the lab and the sea table. I washed the glassware, while others rinsed sand and slime off of the drained sea table. We then packed up all the supplies we had brought and waited for the van to be cleaned before loading up the gear and all our possessions. I left before lunch was served, but I was told that everyone enjoyed their last meal and the long drive back to WSU. We all felt privileged to have been able to take part in this wonderful experience and would gladly do it again. We all learned something we could take home with us and have memories that will last a lifetime.

This concludes the Marine Invertebrate Communities Course Blog.