Indian Island Night Time Beach Walk

Russel and Madrona hosted another night time beach walk around Indian Island on January 29th, it was a Wolf Moon (first full moon of the year) and a Perigee Moon(closest full moon to the earth for the year). Unfortunately it was raining and we couldn't see the moon, but the marine life was unbelievably fascinating.

A great article about the Indian Island Project!!

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.

Volunteer opportunity..Derelict oyster gear to be removed from Crescent Beach!

Over the next couple of months, the Land Bank will be helping to remove the derelict oyster rearing gear from our tidelands at Crescent Beach Preserve. Bill and Char Bawden, who operate Judd Cove Oysters, spent 10 years putting in the gear, however they are transitioning to a new system that will utilize just a fraction of the area.

In the interest of clearing the gear from the near-shore area as quickly as possible, we have scheduled three work days and are inviting volunteers (like you!) to lend a hand.

The work is pulling sections of pvc pipe out of the sand and staging them in piles high on the beach to be loaded into a truck. We need to work with the tides, so please note the dates and times listed below. If you have questions, please give me a call at 376-3384. Also, if you know others who may wish to help, feel free to pass this message along.

NOTE: Do not attempt to remove any of the gear prior to our scheduled work day(s). The Bawden’s will be on site to direct our efforts and be sure that we do not disturb the oyster growing areas currently in use.

Many thanks, and hope to see you there!



Saturday, February 6th 1-4
Saturday, February 20th 1-4
Saturday, March 6th 12-3


Ruthie Dougherty
San Juan County Land Bank
350 Court Street #6
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
360-378-4402 360-298-0052
rdougherty@rockisland.com

Styrofoam Ban: What's the Next Step?

It's official: On January 5 the County Council banned styrofoam take-out food containers from county restaurants and food stores. Spearheaded by SJI resident Doris Estabrooks, whose five- year campaign finally came to fruition, the ban will go into effect in both the county and the town of Friday Harbor on Earth Day in April, 2010. Honored as the San Juan Journal's "Citizen of the Year" for her dedicated efforts, (see SJJ, Jan 5, 2010,) Doris now plans to continue her work to educate the public on the cumulative and harmful effects of disposable plastic on the environment, and particularly to the health of both marine life and humans. Plastic certainly has appropriate and beneficial uses, but as we all know through our beach clean-up activities and involvement with the Port Townsend Micro-Plastic research project, almost all the man-made ocean debris we find, (aside from driftwood,) is some kind of plastic.

The styrofoam ban is a good step, but where do we go from here, especially when eating out? So many restaurants now serve enormous portions - enough for 2 or 3 people! Sharing a main course with a family member sometimes works, but otherwise how do we get those leftovers home without using a disposable container?

One suggestion: buy a "Tiffin." The word comes from India and refers to the metal lunchboxes in use there for workmen and students. But they are available here too, and a very handy solution to the take-home problem. Made of good quality stainless steel in single or double layers, with sturdy clamps, lids, and handles, their cost is reasonable. And they're available in the islands as well. "Compost-it" in Friday Harbor sells them - see their on-line website (below) for pictures and details. (You have to search through a few pages of their on-line catalog under the "Home" category, but it's on about the 5th or 6th page.)

http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/hstrial-CompostIt/-strse-For-the-Home/searchpath/54270732/start/46/total/68/Categories.bok

Gourmet Galley in Friday Harbor said they would also look into carrying them, (encourage them if you're in there,) or check elsewhere in the islands, or on line. They're not small enough to fit into a purse, but definitely into a shopping bag or backpack. Like many other "good for the environment" steps, it might take a little while to get used to remembering to take one with you when you go out to eat, but as with our reusable grocery bags, it will soon become a regular habit.

Indian Island Project Meeting

The Indian Island Marine Health Observatory Project is making good progress. Sheldon, Marcia, Margo and Nancy met with our new fabulous leader, Barbara Bentley. Russel Barsh made a quick appearance at the end of the meeting so that we could brief him on the decisions we had made. We worked on and approved our Mission Statement, passed our informational trifold on to Russel who will approve it and take the next step to get it printed, and we began to fill the sign up sheets for various Indian Island projects.

Missing Sea Lions & El Nino

An article in The Seattle Times recently mentioned that several hundred sea lions have disappeared from San Francisco Bay. Where did they go? Apparently, they headed north to the Sea Lion Caves (where else?) in Oregon. One thought is that because of warmer waters off the California coast (one of the El Nino characteristics) that one of the sea lions' favorites foods - anchovies - has migrated north. So the sea lions are just following their stomachs! In addition, the number of sea lions at Heceta Head in Oregon has doubled to 5,000. Wonder if Washington will also see an influx.

There is no such thing as a Sea Gull

Marine Science Lecture Series


What, there is no such thing as a sea gull? On the evening of Tuesday, January 12 at 7:00 pm biologist and writer Thor Hanson will engage you in the interesting facts about these opportunistic birds. You might not remember all the fascinating details or identification features for the dozen or so gull species we have, but you should walk away more fond of these birds and probably will no longer make the faux pas of calling them sea gulls.

Gulls belong to the Laridae family. They will eat just about anything, from fish or small rodents to ferry French fries and potato chips and a salt excreting gland enables them to drink either fresh or salt water. They nest in large, densely packed, and noisy colonies where they lay two to three speckled eggs. Larger gull species take up to four years to attain full adult plumage, while two years is more typical for small gulls. They can live to be 15 years old and some have been known to live to be over 25 years old.
The 2009/10 Marine Science Lecture Series was created to inspire the general public and to highlight the amazing fish and wildlife of our region. Lectures are free. Please park in the upper parking lot at Camp Orkila. Shuttle service from the parking lot to the talk is available before and after the lecture. The 2009/10 Marine Science Lecture Series is presented by program partners The SeaDoc Society and YMCA Camp Orkila. It is made possible through generous sponsorship by Tom Averna (Deer Harbor Charters), and The Gould Family Foundation and co-sponsorship by Barbara Brown, Eclipse Charters, The Kingfish Inn, Shearwater Sea Kayak Tours, West Sound Marina and Jim and Kathy Youngren.


http://www.seadocsociety.org/

House Passes Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act

December 8, 2009
Washington, D.C. — The House of Representatives passed the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act (HR 1672), legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), by voice vote yesterday. This legislation renews the Congressional mandate for the Northwest Straits Commission, a grassroots organization that works to restore and protect marine habitat in Northwest Washington. HR 1672 has widespread support from the local community, including letters of support from elected officials in every county in which it operates.

Click link to read full article.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/wa02_larsen/Larsen_120809_Straits.shtml

Another Conference: STORMING THE SOUND," La Conner, Jan 29.

"Storming the Sound" is an annual one-day conference for environmental educators and students of environmental education from North Puget Sound, including San Juan County. The event will be held at Maple Hall, La Connor, on Friday, January 29, 2010.

Keynote speaker, David Henry, who works with the Pew Charitable Trust, will speak on: "Arctic Waters - Protecting Life in the Arctic." Breakout sessions will follow on topics such as: school gardens, citizen science, rain gardens, boat-based education, and more.

Registration is free and includes lunch, but a $10 donation is requested at the door to help defray expenses. Here's their website:

http://www.padillabay.gov/storming/index.html

SOUND WATERS One-day Conference, Feb. 6, 2010

Plan now to attend Island County Beach Watchers annual SOUND WATERS conference on Feb. 6, 2010. Held at Coupeville High School, the theme of the one-day conference this year will be: "Puget Sound Starts Here: Why Act? What Works"

Following a keynote address by Dr. Nathaniel Scholz of NOAA, entitled: "Stormwater, Salmon, and the Health of Puget Sound," there will be two sessions of presentations during the morning and one in the afternoon, with a lunch break and time to view a gymnasium full of exhibits.

Several SJC Beach Watchers attended the conference last year and found it very informative and helpful. (Talk to Claire, Shirley, Beverly, Susan, Andrea or Quinn to find out more.) We should be able to carpool so only a few people will need to drive.

Important: The most difficult part of the conference is that you can only attend one presentation per session, and it will be hard to choose. Also, the most interesting presentations fill up quickly. Registration forms are already being distributed in Island County, and will be available on line on January 4. Sign up as soon as you know you can go, to have the best choices. For descriptions of the presentations (and registration forms after January 4,) go to: http://www.beachwatchers.wsu.edu/island/soundwaters/

This is a really fun event! If you decide to attend, please reply as a comment to this entry, so we'll know how many will be going. Thanks.

Ways of Whales Seminar

If you want to learn more about whales, this seminar is for you. It is sponsored by Orcanet and will be held on Saturday, January 23, 2010, from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at the Coupeville Middle School Performing Arts Center, 501 S. Main St., Coupeville. There are great speakers and includes current information on salmon restoration as well.

Speakers will be:

Dr. Mike Ford, NOAA Fisheries, will speak on recent Southern Resident Orca DNA paternity research. Who are the fathers within the Southern Resident Orca Community? (other than Ruffles!)

Dr. Fred Sharpe, Alaska Whale Foundation, will entertain with stories and photos of his amazing research on the feeding habits of humpbacks in SE Alaska, including cooperative bubble net feeding.

Howard Garrett, Orca Network, will present an update on the status of the Southern Resident orcas, and a quick "Orca 101" to set the stage for the day.

The day will be end with Another Dam Panel, with Michael Garrity, Washington State Conservation Director for American Rivers, and Robert Elofson, River Restoration Director for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, to discuss the important issues of dams, salmon restoration, and keeping our Resident orcas fed.

Workshop cost is $25. Lunch will be available on-site (lunch price & choices on the sign up form). Contact Orca Network at 360-678-3451 or Orca Network (info@orcanetwork.org ) for more information.

Report on local salmon research

A presentation will be given by KWIAHT at the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts.

Saturday January 9th
4:00 pm
Admission: By Donation
Food and drink appropriate for the occasion, and salmon related art!

Hundreds of thousands of juvenile salmon spend each summer on the south end of Lopez. Kwiaht and Lopez volunteers are studying what they eat, how long they stay, where do they come from, and what can we do to improve their chances of survival. It`s been a year since Lopez volunteers reported their initial findings to the community: juvenile salmon come here from every major watershed in western Washington and BC. And much of what salmon were eating was insects! This summer local volunteers caught five times as many juvenile salmon, and have learned much much more about their diet, behavior, and needs. Be among the first to find out what new has been learned! Listen, enjoy some food with us, and join the adventure.

http://www.lopezcenter.com/

Indian Island night time low tide beach walk

On December 1st Russel and Madrona led a few brave souls around Indian Island on a low tide at 8:30PM. It was a clear beautiful night, full moon and 38 degrees. We saw some amazing marine life. Here a a few pictures that Madrona took.

The first is a panorama of some of our team working their way along the rocky edge of Indian Island with headlamps to guide them.

A young Black-Clawed Crab, one of the relatively rare crab species in our waters; it is a member of the brightly colored Xanthid family of crabs. Adults can be orange to neon blue in color, and tend to be very aggressive if disturbed. These crabs prey on clams, snails, and barnacles, crushing their shells in the crab’s strong claws.

The Frosted Dirona, a delicate milky nudibranch or “sea slug” of the rocky inter-tidal zone that feasts on small snails and bryozoans, is a year-round resident of Indian Island.

Melibe leoninus is a free-swimming nudibranch that captures its prey—small crustaceans such as shrimp—by throwing its tentacled hood over them. Melibes appear to migrate into East Sound in September and lay their eggs on eelgrass beds around Indian Island. As this night walk demonstrated, many stay until winter!

We also saw kelp crabs mating; and a very large number of sunflower stars hunting for clams in some of the sandier patches around the island. “A good time was had by all,” with a clear sky and full moon directly overhead!

Port of Friday Harbor Monitoring Project

The Port of Friday Harbor has officially approved the monitoring project. Russel Barsh of Kwiaht, Shann and Beach Watchers have been busy planning for the start of the project in January. So far we have “walked the docks” to find suitable sampling locations, identified equipment we will use, and began putting together species field guides and checklists for all volunteers to use. Our next meeting will be on January 13 at 1 p.m. We will meet at the top of the docks near the Port offices spending an hour or so there then head to the FH Labs for discussion and maybe some work in the shop.

This is a large and important project, so we need as many BWs as we can get. It is also going to be a lot of fun—plus you will become a pro at identifying marine life. If you have not let Russel know that you are interested in the project, please email him at rlbarsh@gmail.com
Looking forward to see you on the 13th.

Sign Up for SeaDoc's E-Course on Ecological Principles

SeaDoc's free Top Ten Principles e-course will cover the key ecological principles for designing healthy coastal ecosystems. You'll get an informative email every three days, each covering one of the ten ecological principles that provide a big picture view of how to create and safeguard a healthy ecosystem. You’ll also be able to use on-line forums to discuss with other educators how to most effectively teach these principles. These principles can serve as a foundation for educating the public and for designing a healthy Salish Sea and other coastal ecosystems for future generations.

The 10-part e-course will delivered by email every three days, starting January 4, 2010.

For more information or to sign up, visit http://www.seadocsociety.org/courses/topten