One fish at a time
By
COLLEEN ARMSTRONGIslands Sounder Web site editor, Editor Jan 27 2010, 10:02 AM ·
Local partners unite to study Indian Island
Octopi. Sea slugs. Emerald green pipe fish. Grunt sculpins. Porcelain crabs. Until recently, scientists wouldn’t have guessed that these creatures call Indian Island home. “People weren’t aware of how cool the island is,” said Russel Barsh of the research group Kwiaht. “There is this dynamic ecosystem right along the town’s waterfront. No one had a clue, really, about what was out there, except for the clams.”
Kwiaht is part of a consortium of local partners who have been working together to protect the Eastsound marine environment through research and education. The Indian Island Marine Health Observatory began after the federal Bureau of Land Management (owners of the island) enlisted the help of local Beach Watchers to take care of the property, which is most easily accessed when the tide is low and visitors can walk out into Fishing Bay.
The Beach Watchers mobilized volunteers to help with clean-up and restoration, and the Lopez-based Kwiaht came on board to do scientific monitoring. Orcas students even jumped in on the action, helping out with field work and toxicity studies. Salmonberry Elementary, Orcas Christian School, and Orcas middle and high school kids have all participated.
Over the past two years, Kwiaht’s baseline survey has discovered some fascinating creatures, including grunt sculpins, one of the most brightly colored fish in Western Washington, known for an unusual habit: walking on its fins.
“They are pretty rare and patchily distributed, and we think this is the biggest concentration in the county,” Barsh said.
Another find is the pipe fish, the only member of the seahorse family in the Northwest. They are widely found in the county, but are becoming scarce because they are entirely dependent on native eel grass. The pipe fish extends to its full length of more than a foot and attaches to the grass, moving fluidly and blending in to catch food. Barsh wonders if this species is losing its foothold in Fishing Bay.
Kwiaht also found octopi, sea slugs, and porcelain crabs. The crab diversity is abundant; Kwakiutl has identified 14 species, many of which aren’t commonly seen in the county.
During the surveys, Barsh and his researchers tried to find out what role Indian Island plays in these species’ lives. For the porcelain crab, it is a spot to reproduce.
“Many species reproduce on Indian Island, like the porcelain crab,” Barsh said. “For one month a year, the island is crawling with them – and then they’re gone.”
The next step in the project is public education to help reduce discharge of toxic chemicals into Fishing Bay, silt accumulation in the eel grass meadow from stormwater runoff, and the impact of human recreation.
“There has never been this kind of grassroots effort on Indian Island,” said Beach Watcher Marcia Spees, who is particularly enthusiastic about teaching tide pool ethics. “This will be a project that will go on for years.”
Volunteers have developed a brochure explaining how to be a conscientious visitor to the island, available in the spring, and in March, they will give presentations to Eastsound businesses on how to reduce runoff and discharge.
“We’ve joined the chamber and we will work closely with businesses to educate the public,” Barsh said.
The community is invited to participate in the spring and summer field research trips during low-tide. Barsh says they will be working on the beach, with sandwich-board interpretive signs and Beach Watchers on-hand to answer questions from the public. Look for dates and times later in the year.
There is also a night walk scheduled for Friday, Jan. 29 starting at 8:30 p.m. Meet at the county park, wear tall rubber boots, and bring a headlamp or small flashlight.
“This will be a minus 2.3 tide, low enough to see sea cucumbers, anemones, and some unusual crabs and sea slugs. Night time walks are a great time to sea creatures who are shy,” Barsh said. “The lowest tide of the year will be on June 13, and that’s a day we will make a major educational opportunity for the community and visitors.”
To contact
Orcas Beach Watcher Barbara Bentley is project leader for the Indian Island Marine Health Observatory. For more information, email variicolor@earthlink.net or call 376-5980
Watch upcoming editions for profiles on some of Indian Island’s coolest creatures, courtesy of Marta Branch’s marine science class.
u have an interest in these areas, please contact Andrea Wieland at 
