2016 WSU Vancouver Marine Invertebrate Communities (Biol 486) blog
Beginning on 19 May 2016, a group of WSU 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 – 19 May 2016
Jessica Kench
We set out on our week long adventure to the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology in Charleston, Oregon at approximately 8:30 a.m. this morning from the Washington State University Vancouver campus. After a brief lunch stop over at a well known café in Eugene called the Humble Bagel, our nine person party departed in a convoy of two vehicles and arrived safely at OIMB around 3:15 p.m.
The staff at OIMB received us warmly upon arrival. Shortly thereafter, we proceeded on a brief tour of the marine biology research facilities and amenities. We were able to view some of the student designed experiments currently in progress at the research lab.
After divvying up rooms and tidying our living quarters, we met downstairs in the cafeteria around 5:30 for a delicious meal of “tsunami chicken” with cherry cheesecake for dessert. The food was delicious and calmed all of our stomachs before reconvening for a 6:30 p.m. discussion on the topic of Natural History. The general consensus of the group was that Natural History has a very pertinent role in the formation of scientific inquisition. Observing and cataloging the natural world around us may help develop a more accurate historical account of organisms in their environments and avoid “shifting baseline syndrome”. We will be putting some of our observation skills to work tomorrow.
Tomorrow we will depart at 5:00 a.m. after our continental breakfast and a cup of Dr. Berger’s finely brewed coffee. Cape Arago’s rocky intertidal habitat awaits us, but for now we are ready to tuck in and get some shut eye for the evening.
Dinning hall and dormitory on the OIMB campus
Friday morning – 20 May 2016
Jag Boyer
The day started bright and early as we departed from the marine lab at five am. There were a few stragglers who didn’t seem to want to get up early but, we made it out on time. We reached Cape Arago’s South Beach around 5:40 am. After some quick safety info and a trip down a slippery trail we got straight to work.
We ran a field lab where we were assessing the diversity of species both seaweeds and animals in the algal zone versus in the barnacle zone. To do this, we divided into groups of three. Then we measured out transects running parallel to the shore line and placed a quadrat every 2 meters for a total of four times. With each quadrat we determined the percentage that was made up by each individual species and what percentage was bare rock.
We also took this time to look around and see what we could find in the rocky shore habitat we were visiting. Among the different things seen were Dermasterias imbricate or the leather star, Henricia leviuscula or the blood star. We also saw moonglow, and aggregating anemones, purple sea urchins, three different chiton species, such as Moplia muscosa, Katharina tunicata , and Cryptochiton stelleri; even a sea cucumber was found. Snails, hermit crabs, limpets, mussels, and barnacles were also in abundance.
We decided to call it a trip a little earlier than planned and on the way back to the cars we ran into some people who told us about the remnants of a giant octopus. So, we went investigating and found a large tentacle and an unidentifiable blob of flesh. While we were there, some of us chose to partake in the sampling of some sea weed, which was salty and crunchy.
We made the adventurous hike back up the hill. On the drive back we stopped by a look out point to see sea lions and seals that are currently pupping near North Cove. From there we made our way back to the marine lab, arriving at ten thirty, giving us an hour and a half to relax and clean up before lunch. After lunch we headed on another adventure to lighthouse beach.
Cape Arago’s rocky shoreline at South Cove
Students doing their experiments
One of the diversity quadrats
Dermasterias imbricate or the leather star
Henricia leviuscula or the blood star
Purple sea urchin
The three chitons from right to left Cryptochiton stelleri, Katharina tunicata, and Moplia muscosa (can you find Moplia )
Sea cucumber
Hermit crab
The remains of the giant octopus that left us part of its tentacle to examine
The view from the lookout point with seals and sea lions everywhere. Can you see them?
Friday afternoon – 20 May 2016
Lyvinna Lee
Throughout the afternoon the weather continued to be very accommodating; not too windy, nor too cold. The plan for the afternoon was to drive up to Lighthouse Beach and stay there for a few hours to make observations. We arrived at our sandy destination with shovels and buckets in hand. Shovels were utilized to capture some mole crabs and other potential creatures. The mole crabs were very fast burrowers, so it was quite a challenge to obtain them, especially after the waves had rolled in. Judging by the number of mole crabs chilling in the buckets, our mission was successful. Unfortunately, we struggled with retrieving some of our equipment when the waves came crashing in. Don’t worry, after a few minutes of digging we were able to rescue them from the unforgiving sea.
Digging for some mole crabs. . .”Where are they?”
Some of the captured mole crabs, displayed with our very helpful butter knives.
View of Cape Arago Lighthouse from Lighthouse Beach
As we trekked along the beach, several sand hoppers jumped out. We carefully and quickly made our way through the entire length of the beach, while watching for incoming large waves. Unfortunately due to the absence of the bridge connecting the lighthouse to the beach, we were unable to actually visit the lighthouse. However, the lighthouse was still visible at a distance on the far side of the beach.
Walking around a headland when the water receded
Evidence of burrowing bivalves
Additionally, there were a variety of rocks. For example, there were giant slabs of rock that are very brittle due to erosion and rocks with many holes created by bivalves. Speaking of bivalves, a number of fossilized bivalves were present. Another interesting specimen that we found on the beach was Bull Kelp. Fun fact: Bull Kelp are known to make good trumpets and are filled with carbon monoxide. Even though the diversity of species were scarce overall, the afternoon was a relaxing and fulfilling learning experience.
Walking along Lighthouse Beach
Some fossilized bivalves and gastropods
Bull kelp cut in half
Saturday morning – 21 May 2016
Shyla Edwards
We rose with the sun this morning and enjoyed a warm breakfast before embarking on our lab field trip to the Portside mudflat.
Panoramic view of the Portside mudflat.
As we ventured down to the mudflats, which were exposed due to the low tide in the estuary, we soon noticed that there was not much to see on the surface. The random squirts of water from burrow openings and the small piles of castings were evidence of life below the surface in the soft substrate habitat. Once we began digging into the sediment, we found an abundance of different species of worms and bivalves as well as ghost shrimp and a brittle sea star.
The heart cockle, Clinocardium nuttalli
A juvenile Dungeness crab, Cancer magister, that is commonly found in mud flats
Our field work consisted of examining the three dimensional habitat along a vertical height gradient in order to quantitatively assess bivalve infauna. As we counted and identified different species of bivalves, the seagulls and harbor seals were curiously watching nearby; perhaps hoping for scraps. After about two hours, the rising tide forced us to trek back through the gooey mud.
Quantifying bivalve abundance
Estimating sampling plot height above mean lower low water
Once back at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, we all washed up and had the opportunity to relax and take advantage of the beautiful weather before lunch. We also got to look forward to a festive afternoon because of the grand opening of the long awaited Marine Life Center here in Charleston, Oregon.
Saturday afternoon – 21 May 2016
Vanessa Paurus
Today after lunch, we all walked down to the Charleston boat basin docks to collect invertebrate specimens. The teeming diversity and amount of living creatures that were attached all along the docks just below the water’s surface amazed us all. Large California mussels were incredibly abundant here and quite difficult to pry off of the dockside. Most of us were also pretty eager to each find and collect a sea star on our hunt.
Collecting invertebrates on the side of a dock in the Boat Basin harbor.
There were various species collected such as mussels, sea stars, sponges, anemones, crabs, and shrimp. Seals could often be seen popping their heads out of the water to watch our efforts from a safe distance. Once we had collected a pretty good amount of different specimens in our buckets, we headed back to the marine lab to put them in shallow saltwater table for our later observation and identification.
California mussel, cover with sponge and two smaller mussels
Today in Charleston they were having the opening “kelp cutting” ceremony for their new Marine Life Center. This center is open to the public and provides specimens of both live and preserved organisms that inhabit Oregon’s coast. As soon as you walk through the front doors, there is a huge grey whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling. As you continue through the center there are exhibits on animals from large to small, such as whales, seals, fish, squid, down to the small invertebrates that we have been studying.
Grey whale skeleton that greets visitors
Preserved specimens on display
The Marine Life Center was incredibly impressive and highly interactive, with many hands-on exhibits. They had microscope stations set up for people to view specimens closely and small tide pools for people to see and touch many of the invertebrates that live on Oregon’s coast . The Marine Life Center was appealing, educational, and fun for all ages to attend and we were all very excited to have had the opportunity to attend its grand opening.
Viewing a specimen at a microscope station
Pisaster ochraceus, Ochre star, tube feet in action
Sunday – 22May 2016
Lauren Massey
After another early start this morning and a delicious breakfast of French toast with a side of bacon, we departed promptly at 6:30 am for our first stop along the South Slough Estuary. Upon arrival, as we began to pack up the tools needed for the different measurements we would be recording, the misty sky slowly began to shower us with a light rain. Each of us, prepared with rain boots and coats, slowly trekked through the muddy sediment towards the water’s edge to begin collecting a sample of estuary water. After the samples of the water were collected, the temperature of the water was measured with a thermometer and the salinity of the water was measured with a refractometer. The sample of water was then brought back to the suburban, where the pH and dissolved oxygen were also measured and recorded.
Our second stop required a scenic hike through the dense forest and salt marsh of the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve. Along the hike we encountered relatively large green leafy plants called skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) and bramble bushes containing light pink raspberry-like berries known as the salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis). It wasn’t too long after we began hiking that we noticed the presence of small brown newts with orange bellies, which seemed to be strolling along the path with us. The newts were so abundant along our journey that some of us were afraid to step without looking for fear of crushing the little guys. After a good fifteen minutes into the hike, a clear distinction between the vegetation of the forest and salt marsh was present. The tall trees of the forest faded into various types of tall grasses and eventually into tidal mud or sand flats. The overlooking view of the salt marsh was breathtaking. At the midpoint of the hike, Doctor Berger bravely trudged through the thick, muddy sediment of the salt marsh to collect more estuary water samples so that we could again record the pH, salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen count for this part of the estuary. On the long walk back to the car, Doctor Berger also pointed out how some of the tree stumps leftover from a history of logging in the area contained distinct notches. These notches, he explained, were created by an axe to allow a board to be slipped into the side of the tree trunk so that loggers could stand on top of them in order to cut down the large old growth forest trees.
Collecting water samples in the South Slough estuary
The third stop we made was just a short distance from the second site along a more riparian-esque waterway of the estuary. Each of the four measurements were again collected from the water at this site. We also conducted another experiment here looking at the benthic boundary layer. At different levels in the water column, fluorescent dye was released through a pipette to measure the amount of time it took to travel one meter down the water current. Unfortunately, in order to get down into the water we had to travel through very sticky, thick muddy sediment. Many of us found ourselves getting stuck, stinking, or even falling into the mud just trying to navigate in and out of the water. Thankfully this was our last stop of the day so as soon as we returned, showers were taken and laundry was done.
Trail head in the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
Skunk cabbage encroaching on the boardwalk as we approached the salt marsh
After lunch, each of us met to discuss, in our groups with Doctor Berger, about our ideas for the research projects we will be conducting tomorrow morning. The rest of the night was set aside as some much needed free time. Tomorrow we will be waking up extra early to begin our research projects at Cape Blanco.
Monday – 23 May 2016
Hannah Krogstad
Our day started at 4 am with an hour drive out to Cape Blanco, to conduct our own individual research projects. Ethan, Jessica, and Lauren examined the relative sizes of the acorn barnacles Balanus glandula, which they compared within wave exposed and sheltered areas in the intertidal zone. Another component of their project was looking at predation of barnacles. Periwinkle snails, Nucella ostrina, are the primary predators on these barnacles. Where the barnacles are located, abundance of nutrients in the water, and the amount of predators could be some of the factors that impact the size of these barnacles. This group also looked at their reproductive capabilities and how it could vary depending on if the barnacles are in wave exposed or wave sheltered areas.
Sandy beach on the north end of Cape Blanco
Ethan, Jessica, and Lauren quantifying barnacle size
Jag and I measured the basal diameter of giant green anemone Anthopleura xanthogrammica and tested for differences in their location, elevation, and food supply. Three different sites were tested and at each site data was collected from a wave exposed area and a sheltered area. Each site had at least 15 anemones below a colony of mussels or barnacles. The elevation was measured with a sight level and a quadrat was used to determine the mussel density above the anemones. The prediction of this project is that wave exposed areas and the areas with the largest mussel population will have the largest anemones. With wave exposure, the anemones will have to be able to withstand high amounts of wave force and energy. Some mussels in large populations may fall off the rocks in wave exposed areas, which could be a sign that the anemones are receiving greater amounts of food and can grow larger in size.
Jag and Hannah collecting data to measure anemone basal diameter
Amanda and Vanessa collected data on mussel orientation and compared it to wave exposed and sheltered areas. A compass was used to determine the orientation of the mussels (i.e., degrees from a fixed point) on 4 plots with 50 mussels for each plot. It is possible that the mussels could be orienting themselves to reduce drag force from incoming waves.
Amanda and Vanessa estimating mussel orientation
Lyv and Shyla tested for relative abundance of algal symbionts in giant green anemone Anthopleura xanthogrammica tentacles. The data collected was, color of the anemones, ratio of symbionts anemone body temperature, and elevation above mean lower low water. Tentacles were cut in the field and brought back to the lab to look for the algae. With the microscope they can determine which species are present and how many individuals there are in each species. What they are expecting to see is that as the temperature of the water, sun exposure, and elevation above mean lower low water increases the relative abundance of the two symbionts will vary.
Anemones that will have their body temperature taken soon
Lyv and Shyla determining the ratio of two symbiont species that are found in anemone tentacles.
As the groups started to finish their data collection, some hiked back up to the cars and walked to the light house to take a look around. There was a beautiful view of Cape Blanco and the light house at the top of the hill. When everyone finished, we packed up the cars and drove to Elk River to eat our packed lunches. The rest of the day was open; most of us took a much needed nap and then we were able to do some research or finish our data collecting in the lab. Our evening concluded with everyone picking out their favorite merchandise from the souvenir closet, which turned into a fashion show among all of us girls.
Light house at Cape Blanco
Our lunch spot on the Elk River
Tuesday morning – 24 May 2016
Amanda Sundahl
Our morning began with a delicious pancake and sausage breakfast, before we headed out to the boat docks. After everyone picked out an appropriate life vest and was heavily medicated in preparation for possible motion sickness, we boarded the boat that would take us from the docks of Charleston to the open ocean. The weather was absolutely beautiful;sunny and 55 degrees with low wind making conditions favorable for our 3-hour voyage on the R/V Pluteus. After our captain went over the policies and procedures of safety on the boat, we set out into the open ocean from the Charleston Boat Basin for our offshore benthic trawl!
Everyone heading out to the RV/Pluetus
Heading out to the open ocean
As we headed out to the open ocean, everyone was in awe of how large the waves were that we traveled through and the overall beauty of the surrounding rocky cliffs and bluffs. The objective of our trip was to collect live specimens from a depth of approximately 45 meters., then observe and release them. Once we reached our destination that was a few miles from shore, we dropped the net and began trawling. A bottom trawl net allows us to catch species of interest while filtering out water. Once the net was submerged and pulled along the bottom of the ocean floor for a few minutes, it was brought back up and emptied on the ships deck for examination. Unfortunately, we did not collect up as many species in our net as anticipated, with the first attempt resulting in nothing but a net full of gravel! Our second attempt was a bit more successful. We caught species such as decorator crabs, basket sea stars, bushy bryozoans, sea sponges, a large sea cucumber and various shells. At this point our ship was stopped and the rocking motion from the waves caused many of us to succumb to seasickness. As sick as most seemed to be everyone was able to keep their composure and no one lost their breakfast!
Ethan and Hannah pulling up the trawling net
A sea cucumber from our trawl
A few of our deep ocean catch
As we headed back to shore the sun was still shining, but a fog bank was starting to roll in making it a much cooler trip home and most of us huddled down and took a nap. In the end, this open ocean excursion allowed us to observe species of the deep Pacific Ocean that are not found in other habitats that we visited during this trip. It was quite the experience!
Tuesday afternoon – 24 May 2016
Ethan Bean
This afternoon we piled back into the vehicles to head out for another trip, this time to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. When we got to the parking lot, we realized that we were missing something vital to attending the dunes… A parking pass for the Forest Service land. Dr. Berger took the Suburban over to the nearby campground and picked up a couple parking passes and then we were on our way.
Trail head at the beginning of a hike into the dunes
After about a quarter mile or so on a gravel trail, the forest opened up to the sand dunes. One by one, most members of the group removed their shoes, as we trekked further into the sand. We discussed how sand dunes are formed and how the little bits of grass and vegetation that grow anchor the sand down and stabilize an area of the dunes. We walked up a steep slope where a couple members of the group jumped off the dune and landed a few feet below on the soft sand. Then we walked over to a small salt water lake that was placed randomly on the dune like an oasis mirage from an adventure story. Jessica tested the salinity of the water using the highly scientific and precise “taste” method. After a few minute break by the water to cool down from our walk on the dunes, we headed back to the cars and drove back to OIMB for a discussion on climate change.
The bridge crossing Eel Creek at the trailhead.
Hannah removing her shoes.
The group talking about the dunes being stabilized by the vegetation that grows on them.
The view from the top of the dunes, the Pacific in the distance.
The saltwater lake on the sand dunes with the group cooling off by the water.
Enjoying a soft landing in the sand
Wednesday – 25 May 2016
Mike Berger
The day began with another filling meal in the OIMB dining hall. Shortly after breakfast, we headed out for one last field trip to re-visit South Cove at Cape Arago State Park. This was an opportunity for course participants to put to use, their knowledge of intertidal communities and look for organisms of interest.
South Cove at Cape Arago State Park during low tide
The weather was sunny, warm, and great for observing a diversity of organisms. We found green sea urchins, kelp crabs, and sea lemon nudibranchs. We also observed a raccoon jumping from rock to rock as it searched for invertebrate prey.
Green sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis
Kelp crab, Pugettia producta
Sea lemon nudibranch, Doris montereyensis
A raccoon that we observed in the intertidal
After exploring the intertidal for a couple hours, we returned to OIMB and started the process of packing up all of our equipment and belongings. One final meal at OIMB fueled us for the dive back to WSU Vancouver.
Class photo
This concludes the Marine Invertebrate Communities Course Blog