Post 9: Shannon Point Marine Center

Shannon Point Marine Center Trip

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Here we have 2 different Gumboot Chitons (Cryptochiton stelleri). The first one we saw was in the tank outside the lab. It was attached to the side, slowly searching for an algae snack. It was in between a Sea Cucumber and a Sea Urchin. We found the second one on the beach and it had been dead for quite awhile. These molluscs feed on algae and are nocturnal so they tend hide during the day.

                                                                                                                                                        European Green Crab (Carcinus maenas)                 Graceful Decorator Crab (Oregonia gracilis)

I found this crab hiding under a rock with                 We found this Decorator Crab in the sediment 

a bunch of other similar looking crabs. He                 sample we took in Burrows Pass. These crabs
clearly wasn't thrilled about being picked up              pull algae onto their bodies for camouflage.
and exposed to seagulls. These crabs are invasive     They tend to eat decaying remains and their main
and can do a lot of damage to the ecosystem.             predator are halibut.
They compete with Dungeness for food and
prey on molluscs and clams.

Copepode (Copepoda)

 I saw this under the microscope in the lab. It was just sort of floating around in the water and jumping around every once in a while. These little crustaceans can be a type of plankton and will feed on other types of plankton.       




What I found so interesting about this trip, is the research going on at Shannon Point. On the way back to the lab from the boat, I asked Nate, our skipper, what kind of research he's involved in, and I learned quite a bit about Sea Star Wasting Disease and how it is being monitored. Nate said that he was the safety diver for some of the biologists that come from WWU to observe what is going on with the Star Fish in the waters of the Puget Sound. The trip really made me want to learn more about what I can do to minimize my impact on marine life, and inspired me to continue going down the path of env science.

What kinds of human created pollutants can be found in the sediment near Anacortes? Is taking samples and chemically analyzing them, something Shannon Point does in the area?