NEW PUGET SOUND MARINE LIFE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION AND LINKS ADDED

I have added a PowerPoint presentation to the list under Puget Sound Marine Life in the right hand column. "Puget Sound Marine Life"
Also added are a number of new links under the Links heading also in the right hand column of the blog.  You can find a great deal of up to date information on the happenings in Puget Sound by checking these links.
Looks like the rainy season is upon us.......just means more rainbows....

 

NEW FISH SPECIES FOUND IN SALISH SEA

The latest survey has turned up some new fish species living in the Salish Sea.  Check this link for more information:
http://www.washington.edu/news/2015/09/30/known-fish-species-living-in-the-salish-sea-increases-in-new-report/

Link to NOAA report on fish species in Salish Sea
 http://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/pp18.pdf

THE WHALE TRAIL LECTURE SERIES BY ERICH HOYT

 

The Whale Trail will present 3 lectures in Washington State by Erich Hoyt.  Dr. Hoyt is author of books on subjects ranging from deep ocean creatures, ants to whales.  His lecture schedule can be found on The Whale Trail website:  http://thewhaletrail.org/events-3

On Saturday Dr. Hoyt presented his lecture on Creatures of the Deep, from his book of the same title, on Saturna Island in British Columbia, Canada.

Saturna Island residents filled the hall for the presentation....and that meant many of the island's population of 305 were in the same location at one time. Saturna Island is one of the Southern Gulf Islands located just west, north and east of the U.S.A. Canadian border.  Yes I did mean west, north and east of the U.S.A.  If you are confused by this location just look at a map that inculdes the U.S. San Juan Islands along with Saturna.  Saturna is located on the west side of Georgia Strait as its location guarantees abundant marine life can be found in its waters.

Orca whales pass close to the southern shore of the island when Chinook salmon are returning to the Fraser River.  East Point is a common spot for Orca watchers to gather for a close up view as the whales pass. 

Many thanks to: SIMRES who hosted Erich's presentation for The Whale Trail, and treated The Whale Trail staff royally. SIMRES is a volunteer, non-profit organization bringing marine research and educational programs to Saturna Island. We encourage science and stewardship for a deeper understanding of our fragile marine ecosystem.   http://saturnamarineresearch.ca/aboutsimres.html

A special thanks to Jude and Marueen for a wonderful stay on Saturna Island.

Gretchen at East Point Saturna Is.

Black Oystercatcher Saturna Is.

East Point Saturna Island

Mt. Baker form Saturna Island

Hippo rock with fish Saturna Is.

East Point Saturna Island

East Point Saturna Is..

Sunrise from Saturna Island

B.C. Ferry to Saturna Island

Near Boat Pass Saturna Is.

Boat Pass Saturna Island

Saturna Island ferry dock - Great Pub here.

Orcas near Saturna Island

 

 



LATE SUMMER BIRDS AT ALKI

As summer gets ready to leave the scene, sure seems like fall already here, birds are returning to Puget Sound and others are migrating through.  It's also crabbing season, which you might not associate with birds but there is a connection in places.
Crabbers at Duwamish Head Park (Anchor Park) in West Seattle often use turkey drumsticks for bait in their crab traps...and when finished leave the drumsticks on the pier or throw them in the water......these can be messy people.  It's all OK with the local birds who make a good meal of the turkey....it's like Thanksgiving every day.  Birds eating birds.  In addition there is a group of Black Turnstones and Surfbirds that have returned from the north to the rocks at Duwamish Head.  Jack Block Park seems to have some attraction to for a large flock of Steller Jays....a dozen or more birds hanging out at the trail leading up from the parking lot.
A couple of sea lions are back....but harbor seal sightings have be in short supply so far.  Some strange signs also at Jack Block Park, but are they real signs?

Black Turnstone

Surfbird

Surfbird

Gull with turkey drumstick

Gull with turkey drumstick

Great Blue Heron eyeing drumstick

Great Blue Heron

Crow with drumstick



Crow with drumstick

Steller Jay

Steller Jay

Evidently this is not a real sign  Jack Block Park

Steller Jay

With peanut
 



SEA STAR WASTING SURVEY - LAST OF SUMMER 2015

The latest (8/28/15) Sea Star Wasting survey on the south side of the breakwater at S. Alki resulted in disappointing findings.  In total 32 Purple Stars were seen with 11 showing signs of SSWD.  This is a large increase in % and number of stars with SSWD from earlier this summer.  The reduction in total number counted has gone from 95 to the present 32.  These missing stars may have migrated elsewhere, or may have died from SSWD and been washed away.  It's also remotely possible they could be hiding deep inside the breakwater, but I doubt it.  The increase in diseased stars makes it more likely that the missing stars died and washed away, but that is impossible to know.
On a side note:  I counted 44 Keyhole Limpets on the south side of the breakwater.  Prior to SSWD I would be happy to find 6 or so on the breakwater.  So I'm guessing the lack of predatory stars has made life easier for the limpets and they have responded accordingly.....or they may just have come out from hiding deep inside the breakwater....which I doubt.

Keyhole Limpet

Purple Star with SSWD

 

RED SKY-NORTHWEST FIRE SEASON 2015

Is 2015 summer the view of the future for the Western United States?  Drought in California, exceptionally low snow pack in the Cascade and Olympic mountains and a very hot dry summer has resulted in one of the worst fire seasons for the West Coast states of Washington, Oregon and California.

If climate predictions are correct for the rest of this century we will see more low snow pack winters and drier, hotter summers.  Water shortages will become more common and dry hot forests will be ready to burn at the first spark.  Washington State is under a Federal Disaster Declaration as fire remains out of control on the east side of the Cascade mountains.  The towns of Twisp and Winthrop have been evacuated and Chelan is completely surrounded by fire except for the Lake Chelan side.
Even the lake front has seen the destruction of homes with lake shore property that were defended by home owners who took all the fire safety and landscaping precautions possible.  The fire is too hot and moves too fast to defend against in many areas.

Portland Oregon has seen worse air quality than Beijing China.....which is famous for poor air quality.
Smoke from east side Cascade fires usually is blown east away from west side cities but this year the wind has occasionally changed and move the smoke west.  High altitude smoke from California fires has given Seattle red sunsets all summer with eastern Washington smoke coming to visit lately.

I don't know how many climate change deniers have lost homes in these fires......but my guess is they may have done some rethinking after this summer.

It's not over yet by any means as more hot weather and high winds are forecast......it's going to give new meaning to "the long hot summer"........in the future you may not even get Las Vegas odds of your east slope house surviving for many years as this could be the century of fire in the West.

Some hope:  A strong El Nino is forecast for the winter of 2015-16 which usually means lots of storms for California with heavier than normal rainfall.  While this may not cure California's drough completley it may make a dent in it.  Many more wet winters will be needed to solve California's water problems.

 



HOODED (LION) NUDIBRANCH MATING SEASON

Summer is mating time for Melibe leonina, the Hooded (Lion) Nudibranch in Puget Sound.  This unusual sea slug does a lot of swimming from place to place to find mates and food.  Food consists of small invertebrates that are captures with an oral hood.  Hooded sea slugs usually are found on eel grass and use the oral hood to envelope prey items that live on the surface of the eel grass blades.  Eggs are laid in ribbons attached to the eel grass or sea weed....often Ulva.  They apparently live about one year, reciprocally fertilize one another (hermaphrodite), lay their eggs and die.
Melibe produces a sweet fruity aroma when handled and this gives the group name " bouquet".
This chemical odor is used to attract others in the hunt for a mate.  Many sea slugs produce chemical defenses which make up for the lack of a protective shell, spines or other defenses perhaps this works for the Hooded sea slug.   "Predators may include fish, kelp dwelling crabs and sea stars, but when disturbed Melibe leonina has the ability to autotomize (shed) its cerata. This will hopefully lead the would-be attacker away as the discarded appendages float off, or at least cause a distraction long enough for the sea slug to make an escape."
 The images/video below were taken a Seahurst Park in Burien WA on 8-2-15.

Hooded Sea Slug

Eggs of Hooded Sea Slug

 

 

 

Videos :  Top-Laying eggs
                Second from top-Laying eggs
                Others are of swimming, group, and using oral hood on eelgrass