Port of Friday Harbor - MHO update

In December the Friday Harbor Marine Health Observatory (FHMHO) group presented their first annual report to the Port of Friday Harbor, which resulted in more planned collaboration between the Port and FHMHO. Entering 2011 FHMHO is gearing up to welcome more Beach Watchers, and to conduct more public outreach and education on the docks.

The project got under way this past spring. Armed with a brave group of Beach Watcher volunteers, Kwiaht Director Russel Barsh designed and implemented a long term study of the marine organisms living on the docks of Friday Harbor. The goals of the study were: 1) to create a master list of species that are observed here, 2) to create a list of species whose changes in populations or locations or seasonality might indicate changes in the health of the Port and the bay, and 3) to collect relevant data as a starting point for identifying trends.

The volunteers were trained in data collection, invertebrate identification and monitoring protocol. Working in teams of two, the volunteers visited their assigned locations in the Port of Friday Harbor and at the University of Washington Friday Harbor Laboratories once a month (rain or shine!) and recorded all species observed. That data was then entered and graphed by species, location, season and abundance.

With months of data collected, some interesting information began to emerge. For example the team learned that while decorator crabs were seen most frequently on H dock, graceful kelp crabs seemed to prefer the docks at Friday Harbor Laboratories. Sea stars were most abundant by the University of Washington Labs, but surprisingly nudibranchs were most often spotted on or near the fuel dock! The volunteers have already learned a great deal about research and are now beginning to generate questions which will shape the direction of the project as it moves into a new year. Thanks to their critical thinking, more variables will be recorded during future observations. (Photos above show a Dawson's Sun Star and a Decorator Crab.)

This spring will also see the development of an interpretive station at the Spring Street passenger terminal. By using an underwater camera and live footage, the station will focus on the beds of eelgrass in the harbor, and the sea life therein. The project hopes to make visible the importance of eelgrass as an essential habitat and food source for animals ranging from anemones, crabs, snails, fish and birds.

If interested in joining the FHMHO team, please contact Beach Watcher Dennis Linden at seahermit@rockisland.com or Russel Barsh at rlbarsh@gmail.com. Also check out the their website at its new location: www.fhmho.org

This article was written by Kwiaht intern Aileen Murphy. Thanks, Aileen!