Buzz's Marine Life of Puget Sound: Dec 30, 2013

Monday, December 30, 2013

CONSTELLATION MARINE RESERVE NIGHT BEACH WALK 12-29-2013

A perfect weather night for a beach walk......45 deg F, no wind, no rain. A large crowd took advantage of the weather a minus 1.5' tide and the presence of Seattle Aquarium Beach Naturalists to explore one of Seattle's best intertidal areas. Red Rock Crabs, Northern Kelp Crabs, Anemones, Shrimp,
and Moon Snails (one even with an egg case) put on a great show. A Marble Snailfish showed up (first one I've ever seen at Constellation). On a more depressing note there was evidence that sea star wasting disease is now epidemic on this beach....especially on the north end where an estimated 20% of Purple Sea Stars had the wasting disease. The cause of the disease, which is wide spread and affecting a number of Sea Star species from Canada to California, is unknown. On a December 5th beach walk I counted 398 Purple Sea Stars at Constellation M.R. with only one found to have the wasting disease. On Dec. 29th dozens of Purple Sea Stars were wasting. Images below tell some of the sad story.