I CAN'T BELIEVE I ATE THE WHOLE THING...

Lots of people ask, "What eats Seastars?".  Well, it turns out one of the most common predators on seastars are gulls; mainly the larger gulls like the Western, and Glaucous-winged Gull, which are common in the Seattle area.  In addition seastars are eaten by other seastars, sea otters, raccoons, and fish and plankton eaters that feed on them when they are in the larval stage as part of the zooplankton.  Also you will find them in food markets in China...for human consumption.

breakfast

down the hatch

Who's next?

HARBOR SEAL PUP AT ALKI

I went to Alki beach again this morning to look for the River Otters.....no luck.  A Harbor Seal pup that has been weened arrived and hauled-out at Duwamish Head.  This is a healthy looking pup likely a couple of months old. The lines on the side of the pup are called blubber rolls or lines. There was not much beach and a rising tide so after fighting the wave action for about 1/2 hour the pup went back in the water....sort of picked the wrong time and the wrong beach to take a nap.  These pups need lots of rest time....at least 50% of their time is spent out of the water to rest and conserve heat.

Seal Sitters is a non-profit organization the monitors the seals when the come ashore to ensure they are not disturbed by people or dogs.  If you at a West Seattle beach and see a seal on the beach please call Seal Sitters and notify them of the location.  206-905-SEAL.

RIVER OTTER FAMILY AT ALKI

 Spotted a River Otter family this morning at Alki...for more detailed information on Washington River Otters go to:  http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/otters.pdf

Alki Otter family

Checking me out

Homeward bound

4 clowns

LATE SUMMER PLANKTON

Plankton populations...both phytoplankton and zooplankton are most abundant in Spring and Summer months with an occasional peak in the Fall.  Some plankton members from Seacrest pier in Elliott Bay, Puget Sound in late August.  An abundance of chain diatoms, and some concentric diatoms and a scattering of zooplankton showed up in day and night plankton tows from the pier....which is usually crowded with anglers stalking the elusive salmon...Pink salmon this odd number year...perhaps 6 million will return to the Sound.

Diatoms, Copepod

Cypris stage of barnacle

Worm Larvae

Comb Jelly

Worm larva

Snail

Polychaete worm

P

Polychaete worm larva

Worm, Copepod

Barnacle larva

Barnacle larva

Copepods

Shrimp

Plankton

Cypris stage of barnacle

Worm Larva

Polychaete

Polychaete, copepod, snail

Amphipod

mixed plankton

Snail, clams

Sea Urchin larva

Copepods and snail

Polychaete

CREEPY FLIES OF THE INTERTIDAL

Known as the Barnacle Maggot (Oedoparena glauca) this small intertidal fly is big problems for the local barnacles.  At low tide the adult female lays eggs on the operculum plates of the barnacle.  The eggs have flanges that allow them to become lodged in cracks between the barnacle's plates.  The eggs hatch within 48 hours at low tide.  The fly larvae (maggots) enter the barnacle by wiggling through small gaps between the operculum plates and proceed to feed on the soft flesh of the barnacle.  After feeding on the barnacle the maggot leaves and crawls to another barnacle at low tide and wedges itself into gaps in the plates....when the water returns the barnacle opens to feed and the maggot crawls in....to feed on a second barnacle and then more.  After a few months the maggot pupates inside the last barnacle meal shell. In a month the maggot will mature into the adult and exit the barnacle shell at low tide.  Studies have determined that as many as 20% of the acorn barnacles on a beach may contain the maggots.  Golden Gardens beach in Seattle had the highest rate of predation of beaches surveyed in one study.  Barnacles that contain a maggot cannot feed because their access to the outside is blocked by the maggots breathing apparatus.

THROUGH THE EELGRASS AND SARGASSUM

Late Summer communities of eelgrass and Sargassum are rich in shrimp and small invertebrates.  A few passes with a plankton net demonstrates some of the diversity to be found in these habitats.  Most species turn out to green, perfectly matching the eelgrass....but not so much the Sargassum.  Sargassum is an introduced species of seaweed and local invertebrates have not had much time to evolve cryptic coloration to match it. In some areas of Puget Sound Sargassum has become invasive, covering large percentage of low intertidal rocky habitat to the exclusion of local seaweed species.  These tiny shrimp and other crustaceans are food for a variety of fish and thus an important part of the food web.
See link to Eelgrass on this blog.

Eelgrass Isopod and Grass Shrimp

Various Shrimp

Grass Shrimp

Grass Shrimp

Eelgrass

Eelgrass

Eelgrass Isopod

Sargassum

Sargassum

Isopod - planktonic

Amphipod

Amphipod