Sector 7: Taylor Beach, Witty’s Lagoon and Albert Head

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Aerial views courtesy of the CRD NATURAL AREAS ATLAS

11..Witty’s lagoon/estuary and 10. Beach spitwittys

Witty’s beach is an accretional beach with materials supplied from long shore drift from the cliffs to the south. Behind the beach is a large tidal lagoon, and estuary fed by Bilston Creek.

 

Report on Witty’s lagoon (includes Ecology, geology etc. Waterose et al.

Link to the Witty’s lagoon Waterose et.al report

 

 

 

 

 

Link to the Anthropogenic Effects on this area

 

 

Link to The Wittys Lagoon Estuary and Beach Lab

The following booklet was written in the 1970’s based on the report done by Dr. Wolf Bauer.

A panorama view from the inside of the spit on Witty’s lagoon

A panorama view of the narrow channel for tidal exchange at the end of Witty’s Spit.

4.. Haystock Islands

Haystock Islands show some evidence of human occupation by First Nations in the past.

 

 

 

4.5,6,7.. Tower Point and Duke Road Waterfront
South of Albert Head

 

 

 

  • ** “You can also see excellent exposures of pillow lavas at Tower Point. On the Point and in the sea cliffs of nearby islands, the characteristic feature of the pillow basalts are well displayed in clean outcrops above the high tide line. These dark green, fine-grained rocks commonly contain amygdules filled with quartz and calcite, which appear as white spots up to 1cm in diameter. Several vertical, green vesicular dykes, up to 1 m. wide, trend across the point, and a minor east dipping fault is exposed on the western side of the point. Several outcrops display piles of basalt pillows with flattened bases and shapes that indicate they were squeezed together while the lava was still hot and plastic. You cans see conspicuous light grey to almost white boulders of granodorite, obviously (glacial) erratics, lying on the surface of the pillow basalts.”…..
  • “According to Nick Massey of the BC Geological Survey, the Metchosin Igneous Complex developed as an oceanic island, not unlike Iceland, about 54 million years ago. The pillow basalts exposed here as well as those at the Sooke Potholes… are only part of the complex….Many of the pillows seen in this area contain abundant, round white amygdules, which are commonly arranged in layers close to the margins of the pillows. These amygdules were originally vesicles that have been filled by crystals of calcite and other minerals. Vesicles form when gas, dissolved in molten lava separates from the liquid, causing it to froth. If the pressure of the weight of the overlying water is sufficiently great, the gas does not separate and no vesicles form. Thus there is a rough correlation between the depth below sea level at which the lava erupted and the vesicularity of the lava; with increasing depth, the degree of vesicularity decreases. From this relationship, we can conclude that the pillow basalts of the Metchosin Igneous Complex erupted in moderately deep to shallow water, but not as deep as the present Pacific Ocean Spreading Ridges.”
    2005, Yorath, Chris, The Geology of Southern Vancouver Island, page 114, Harbour Publishing.

 

5.South Side of Albert Head

 

 

 

 

4,. Albert Head and 2 and 3 North Lagoon and 1.Beach

 

 

 

 

To the north of Albert Head Beach and outside of the boundaries of Metchosin District lies the gravel pit which is now in the stages of being close down, to be replaced by a large development .

 

 

Anthropogenic habitat modification from Witty’s lagoon to the south side of Albert Head.

Acknowledgements:

Anthropogenic Impacts Albert head lagoon and shoreline

Helicopter aerial views courtesy of GEOBC

The CoastaMetchosin website has been created to represent the contiguous ecosystems of the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve/Marine Protected Area and for the use of the Green Blue Spaces sub committee of the Metchosin Environmental Advisory Select Committee (MEASC). Copyright: G.Fletcher 2013 (garryf ( use at) gmail.com)

 

SECTOR 4: PEDDER BAY

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Aerial Map Courtesy of the CRD NATURAL AREAS ATLAS
Helicopter Images from GEOBC

 

The geography of Pedder Bay and the exposure of its shores to the marine environment results in a number of contrasting ecosystems on the upland part of the shores. It also contributes significant materials to the marine environment and through four or five months of the year contributes a large volume of freshwater, acting more like an estuary than a regular bay. Click on the sectors of the bay above to jump to the sector pages.
Pedder Bay, British Columbia Wave Climate Study and Wave Protection Considerations
March 1991 Fisheries and Oceans reportPEARSON COLLEGE SHOREFRONTLester B. Pearson College opened in 1974 on the north side of Pedder Bay on land formerly owned by the Department of National Defence . At high tide, most of the shoreline of the campus is rocky intertidal, however at low tide, mudflats appear along much of the shore.

The following is excerpted from the College reference guide ” The Road Ends at Our Place: The Ecosystems of Pearson College.

One of the first projects the students faced when the college was founded was to build the floating docks as their outlet to the sea. This provided for a rich marine environment program which has expanded since that time. College boats provide for field trips in the biology and environmental systems classes, and the afternoon activities in sailing, SCUBA diving and kayaking lead to an active seafront.

In 2003, the addition of the floating lab provided room for three more classrooms as well as a diving equipment room, workshop, office and storage space for the sea activities. The immediate access to the ecosystems of Pedder Bay make it an ideal facility for the life sciences.

Only on rare occasions (once in ten years) do we get a week of cold weather and snow which causes the inner part of the bay up to the college docks to freeze over. The campus for a few brief days takes on a unique beauty when this happens. It also is a time when we can take advantage of the learning opportunity by having the students experience the unique aspects of “snow ecology”. For students from tropical countries who may never have experienced such conditions, there is a realization that snow has insulating features, can be breathed through, is variable in weight and density, and plants from temperate climates adapt to it in unique ways. Meanwhile down at the waterfront, unique patterns of salinity and fresh water can be discovered with ice formation.

The academic building viewed from the docks after one of those rare snowfalls that we get in Pedder Bay.

 

 

 

 

 

  • Plankton, Diatoms, of Pedder Bay

    Mudflats and rocky intertidal ecosystems of Pedder Bay

The shores of Pedder Bay provide more fascinating variety to our campus, and the profile of the bay changes considerably from low to high tide, a range of 3 meters. The water of the bay varies in temperature from 8 degrees Celsius in the winter to 13 degrees in the summer.

The mudflat in front of the sea front commons building is typical of the small inlets along the bay. It provides a rich habitat to mud-dwelling organisms and red-rock and dungeness crabs. Overhanging trees and trees which have fallen into the water provide the substrate for the bay mussel , Mytilus trossulus, and several barnacle species. Several species of limpet and littorine snails graze rocks in the intertidal zone and the large white anemone , Metridium farcimen, can be seen on the bottom of the bay, anchored to submerged branches or exposed rocks. All the invertebrates contribute their larva to the rich planktonic mix in the waters of the bay. The main producers in the bay are the large round centric diatoms, Coscinodiscus sp. but on different occasions under the microscopes of the biology students, a wide array of geometric shapes of other phytoplankton species will appear. Copepods and the nauplius larvae of barnacles make up the main zooplankton of the bay.
Mesodinium rubrumOften in the spring when the sunlight levels are adequate, the nutrient laden water from winter run-off may support a non-poisonous red tide. A deep reddish bloom caused by the organism Mesodinium rubrum will cover parts of the bay. This is a unique marine photosynthetic ciliate which can fix energy because it has a cryptophyte endosymbiontic red algae inside it. A good example of a mutualistic relationship occurring on a massive scale within the bay.

The Floating lab and docks provide a great amount of substrate on which a variety of organisms attach. These areas have also been useful for the science classes in providing areas for hanging baskets for aquaculture experiments. Within easy access there is a rich fouling community which provides many specimens used in classes. Almost every invertebrate phylum is represented on the underside of these docks. The plankton of Pedder Bay form the nutritional and energy base of the ecosystem.This file provides a lab assignment on quantification of plankton biodiversity .

The Seabirds of Pedder Bay

 

 

 

what

 

 

 

 

MANOR and FOSSIL POINT TO CAPE CALVER :
ROCKY COASTLINE
This section is notable mainly for it’s geological features. Here there is evidence of the most recent glaciation of 10,000 years ago: a massive conglomerate boulder on the shore and the glacial striae or grooves on the rock of the coastline. In other parts of the bay, granite boulders add to the collection of bits of glacial evidence

. Shore pine, Pinus contorta , penetrates along the shore into Pedder Bay from the outer parts of Rocky Point. In this outer section, salt spray is received above the intertidal zone in winter storms from the north east. The fetch, or distance across the ocean upon which the wind can impart energy in a storm is well over 50 kilometers for this outer section if a line is drawn from Cape Calver to a point in the open ocean beyond Victoria. Further into the bay from Fossil Point where there are more protected shores, the predominant tree cover is Douglas fir, and trees can grow closer to the water.

Gooch Creek and Associated Ecosystems: Issues and Solutions

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Ed Note: all mentioning of the invasive species Phragmites australis should now be updated to indicate this species has been identified by DNA sampling as the Native Species Phragmites australis, subspecies americanus.

By Moralea Milne, Student # 9913797,  ER 390, April 12, 2004

Abstract:  Gooch Creek and associated ecosystems provides habitat for two provincially blue-listed species: coastal cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki clarki) and red-legged frog (Rana aurora) as well as three spine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Gooch Creek and associated ecosystems were mapped using Global Positioning Systems technology. Studies using Streamkeepers, Wetlandkeepers, Urban Salmon Habitat Program and Proper Functioning Condition to assess Gooch Creek have found the cumulative effects of land conversion, land use, livestock usage, invasive species encroachment and roads practices have negatively effected the aquatic health this system. Water quality sampling was conducted every second week at six locations for dissolved oxygen, water temperature, total dissolved solids, pH and turbidity. Chemical analysis of soil and water was also Continue reading →

Metchosin Marine Issues, an Expression of Concern.

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The Unique Value of our Coastal Ecosystems

The Coastal Resources of Metchosin are a valuable form of Natural Capital that must have special consideration when Development Planning is done in the District.   The Crown owns the foreshore to the high tide mark, and although one would think this allowed protection, there are still considerable threats to the ecological integrity of this area, which must be considered. The shoreline is an interface between two systems, the terrestrial uplands and the open ocean. As typical of any natural system, one cannot separate them in terms of management decisions, as they have processes, which interact.   Community members of a progressive coastal community should tolerate no activities involving human action that contribute to any level of destabilization or decline of our present shoreline ecosystems.

Along our shorelines in Metchosin, we have a variety of unique marine ecosystems.

  • Tidal marshes,
  • lagoons,
  • estuaries,
  • bays,
  • eel-grass beds,
  • high speed current channels,
  • underwater caves,
  • vertical underwater cliffs,
  • boulder beaches,
  • sand beaches,
  • and pebble (pocket) beaches.

Every metre of coastal intertidal zone also has a characteristic set of organisms, which can be impacted by actions of humans either from the land side or the ocean side.  Larger commercial species of fish often feed or spawn near the shoreline interface, juvenile fish migrate along shorelines, often relying on protective habitat of overhanging vegetation or kelp beds, and the energy flow in the food webs of at least 7 local marine mammal species are directly affected.

It is further recognized that a viable commercial crab fishery, as well as an extensive sports fishery operates along the coastal areas of Metchosin.

Rockfishconservationareas19_20 The ocean environment in the area of Race Passage has also been recognized as an important habitat for the regeneration of Rockfish stock leading to the creation of a DFO rockfish conservation areas where all fishing is prohibited.

 

 

 

anthroimpactThis file and map of the the Metchosin Shoreline shows the major areas where humans have modified the habitat, often resulting in ecosystem modification and loss of habitat for local species of fish, invertebrates and marine mammals. The term Anthropogenic refers to human modification.

 

ecoareasThis file contains a map with the ecologically sensitive areas of Metchosin’s Coastal Ecosystems.
Terrestrial Threats:

  • Erosion from road building, utility and sewer installation, subdivision development carrying silt into the receiving waters has a negative impact on filter feeders (e.g. Clams, mussels and anemone) in the ocean.
  • Crushed rock deposited in upland areas in road building and building lot creation may have serious toxic impacts on marine life as water leaches through it carrying dissolved metallic ions to the sea.
  • Accidental or planned deposition of hazardous materials in soils can also lead to leaching to the marine waters.
  • Deforestation on upland slopes leads to deterioration of coastal ecosystems.
  • Channelization of streams leads to silt output and increased fresh water flow to ocean environments.
  • Human traffic, (especially horses) on beaches can severely impact on spawning areas of needle fish (on Taylor beach)
  • Uncontrolled dogs can have a serious impact on feeding patterns of shorebirds- especially crucial during migration.
  • Humans and dogs on beaches can impact on molting elephant seals.
  • Beach debris can be washed seaward, to be ingested by marine animals.
  • Oil and chemicals from storm sewer drains is toxic to marine creatures.
  • Building too close to cliffs can lead to destabilization and therefore slumping of land into the ocean. This is especially of concern along the cliffs of Parry Bay and Albert Head.
  • Sewage disposal on land in septic fields, contributes a large nutrient load as it leaches through to the shoreline. The heavy die-off of algal growth on Weir?s beach annually, is evidence of this.
  • Development on the coastline as has recently occurred South of Devonian Park can lead to alteration of the coastal resource, habitat smothering and destruction, and increases shoreline erosion risk.
  • Backshore alteration of any beach habitat for intended purposes of bank stabilization, inevitably in the long run leads to shorefront habitat deterioration.

Marine Threats:

Tanker traffic very close to our shores, poses a continual risk of oil and chemical spills. In the areas shown in the map, red indicates highly sensitive and a long term residency of oil. Yellow indicates a lesser residence time of oil. Green indicates a faster cleanup may be possible because of exposure to waves and currents. See this reference on Threats from tanker traffic 

  • Increase in cruise lines in recent years has a potential to impact our coastal resources.
  • Increasing fast boat traffic is hazardous to harbour seal pups and slow moving marine mammals (such as elephant seals) in particular.  It also increases rates of coastal erosion in sheltered bays.
  • Boat motor sound underwater affects animals relying on the underwater seascape for communication.
  • whalewiseWhale watching boating patterns have an impact on the time whales can spend foraging in the area.

 

 

  • Antifouling compounds on ships (some military) and in boats in marinas provide a further risk to the marine environment

Return to MetchosinCoastal

Originally published by G.Fletcher in 2004.

Marine and Estuarine Riparian Habitats and their role in Ecosystems in the Pacific Region

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Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Research Document 2001/109.

Colin Levings and Glen Jamieson, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

abstract
A.  introduction

in this paper we provide an assessment of the fish habitat significance of a particularly ecotone  of the Marine and estuary in Shoreline in British Columbia-locations were aquatic habitat at higher tides merges into terrestrial habitat. An eco-tone is defined as a son of transition between adjacent ecological systems, having a set of characteristics  uniquely defined by time and space scales, And by the strength of the interactions between adjacent ecological systems. Ecotones at the edges of lakes, streams, and rivers are well described by ecologists and are called riparian zones the word riparian is derived from the Latin word for River and is strongly embedded in ecological, legal, and environmental planning literature the following is a working definition of riparian habitat, adopted by DFO and MOV and parks in a recent document (2000) with fish habitat protection and area adjacent to a stream that may be subject to temporary, frequent, or seasonal inundation and supports plant species that are typical of an area inundated or saturated soil conditions, and that are distinct from plant species on freely drained adjacent upland sites because of the presence of water

See this PDF for the full article: MarineRiparianHabitats(LevingsJamieson2001)

The Mussel Mariculture lab

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LESTER B. PEARSON COLLEGE ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS SECOND YEAR Jan- Feb., 2001

PURPOSE: This lab enables you to experience in a small way the process of mariculture, involving everything from planning, experimentation, siting and the economics of the process. It will further give you a chance to review some of the concepts you have studied in the course.

OBJECTIVES: After doing this lab , students will be able to:

a) Understand the elements of costs involved in food production.

b) Relate to the problems of fouling, predation, parasitism and environmental impact.

c) Electronically and statistically document and analyze your findings.

d) Prepare an individual report on the Process you have encountered .

PROCEEDURE:

1. In groups of 3 or 4 discuss the objectives and procedure to be sure you clearly understand them. Question the teacher where necessary, and record the process you are going through at each step.

2. Make an initial attempt to define the roles of the group, but revisit them periodically to be sure that one person is not being left with the bulk of the work. Record this as well. You should also be sure that everyone involved understands each step of the process rather than overspecializing.

3. Since the goal is to produce a model of a mariculture setup, with all it’s inherent problems and achievements, you will be given some basic parameters to work with but must plan what is necessary to achieve the goals.

4. All costs are in an arbitrary currency we will call mussel dollars.
The present value of ten mussel dollars ($10m) can be equated to what the current cost of a Kilogram of mussels is in the marketplace.

Lease cost of equipment :

Cage and equipment: $m1.00 Lease Space: $m1.00/mo Seed Stock:$m1.00/doz
Computer rental $m.50/hr Labor Cost:$m1.00/hr Lab space Costs: $m.50/hr
Franchise cost: $m10.00 Insurance costs$m1.00/mo.

5. You will be given almost two months to complete the project (Mar1). You will be responsible to make progress reports every two weeks to the teacher ( Your company is a subsidiary of his, called mothermussel.com. ) (using the media of your choice ) .

6. A record of the initial size of your mussels should be done using the scanner. Be sure to ask for help on how to do this, as a transparent sheet has to be used . This will become an important record for future calculations.

7. You will be required to include in your final report, a calculation of wet and dry biomass, and if possible, an energy conversion for your data.

8. Since this is not a full scale operation you are doing, you should devote a section of your analysis to the scaling-up conversions.

9. Be careful, Mussel mariculture has inherent risks: Be sure to list all of these in your analysis!!

10. Each one of you must do research on the internet and in the library (see the mariculture magazines, eg.Northern Aquaculture) to find out the global picture on mussel mariculture. In your final report, answer such questions as : Where and to what extent does mussel mariculture take place? How important is mussel production for human consumption on a world basis in comparison to other protein sources. Is there an environmental impact associated with this industry.

These pictures represent the setup which we used for one year’s experiments on mussel growth:

 

The Plankton of Pedder Bay Lab

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Triceratops

BACKGROUND: Microscopic plankton can be can be collected in a way that allows us to determine densities of the organisms, and therefore compare different pelagic environments. We have already seen how plankton populations can vary from part of the ocean to another. In order to quantify plankton, the following method is suggested. You are urged to come up with your own research problem concerning plankton populations and then proceed to use the following techniques to investigate. Although this lab refers to Pedder Bay on Vancouver Island,, It could be modified to suit any location.PROCEDURE:In order to determine densities of organisms, we first have to know the volume of the water from which the sample is taken.
1. Calibrating the log:

    • You will use a plankton net with a small propellor driven counting log to measure distance travelled in the water that is sampled. To calibrate the log, measure off a distance on the docks, read the dial at the beginning of the trial, drag it through the water the length of the measured section, and the difference in the reading at the end of your tow will be the length of your cylinder of water.
    • Now calculate how many counts on the dial there are per meter.
    • Divide the number of counts per meter into the number of counts through the distance you drag the net for your sample. This gives you a number of meters in length for the sample cylinder.
    • Measure the diameter of the net opening and now calculate the volume of sample taken from the open ocean. The formula for volume of a cylinder is V=(pi X radius squared) X h(meters)

3. What is in The sample?

      • Note the total volume of the sample traken. Then remove a representative subsample of 1 ml.
      • Place the 1ml sample in a slide with a measured viewing chamber. Count numbers of individual species in representative quadrats. Obtain the average, and multiply this number by the total number of quadrats available.

4. Density determination.

      • .Now calculate the density of the individual species in the sample . i.e. number per cubic cm. then per cubic meter.

5. Option :

    • Calculate the number for a larger area e.g. Pedder Bay ! Hint treat it as a segment of a cone for volume determinations, use a chart to determine the measurements of the bay..

Pedder Bay frequently has booms of Mesodinium rubrum. This organism turns the bay a deep wine color . It is not a poisonous red tide , but we have noticed that when it is pumped up into seawater tanks, it will easily smother some of the filter feeders such as sponges. Blooms often coincide with nutrient loading followed by a period of sunny weather.

 

ADAPTATION OF ORGANISMS TO BRACKISH WATER ECOSYSTEMS

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FIELD LAB ON ADAPTATION OF ORGANISMS
TO BRACKISH WATER ECOSYSTEMS

Environmental System
Lester Pearson College
Garry Fletcher

BACKGROUND: A class discussion on the problems that organisms have in adapting to the habitats of Brackish water ecosystems.

PROCEDURE:

1.Reading: Biology of Marine Life by Sumich (look up and discuss the reference to Stenohaline and Euryhaline organisms)

Using the graphical information about the distribution of Amphipods, design a protocol to test the model here in the esturary of Pedder bay. Examine water samples from a number of Estuarine locations.


2. Look for invertebrates in some of the following possible locations:
Strand line of Pedder Bay at Weir Point.
Estuary of “Garry’s Creek”
Strand Line of Taylor Beach
Estuary of Witty’s Lagoon
Estuary of salmon enhancement stream in Pedder Bay

3. Document the presence of plant species in the estuarine conditions. Several methods will be suggested to quantify their distribution. Identification pictures are available to help with the species. When you have decided how to portray the distribution of Plant Species, discuss this with your teacher and then proceed.

The Fouling System– Pedder Bay-Archive

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The fiollowing set of lab reports were done as an exercise by the marine environmental systems class in September 1997

ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEM CLASS ASSIGNMENT : SEPTEMBER 1997

For the first assignment of the year, the first year environmental systems classes were given the task of working in groups to examine different one meter sections of the dock skirt at Lester Pearson College. This was their first experience in using html as a word processing and presentation media, and the following presentations represents their first draft.

A COPY OF THE FIELD-LAB WORKSHEET:

THE “FOULING SYSTEM”

PEARSON COLLEGE DOCKS IN PEDDER BAY

ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS FIRST YEAR FIELD LAB

INTRODUCTION:

You will be shown a section of the protective rubber skirt hanging from the Pearson College docks. On the bullrail of the dock you will find lettered sections of 1 meter. Growing on the rubber you will find a community of organisms which lives in this unique location . On this first introductory lab, we want you to use this set of organisms to gain a better understanding of the structure and function of ecosystems.

TOOLS YOU WILL USE:

Reference: Odum- ECOLOGY and Our Endangered Life Support System page 38-58)

Identification Manuals,

Adobe PageMill Software, Power MacIntosh Computer

OBJECTIVES:

After doing this lab you will be able to:

A) Model using Odum’s Symbols the material; cycles and energy flow of the Pedder Bay fouling system represented on your section of dock skirt. (Page 40-41 Odum- ECOLOGY and Our Endangered Life Support System)

B) Define the boundary of your system.

C) Identify the Structural components of the system:

1) Biotic:

Horizontal distribution aspects- regular, clumped, random, etc.

Vertical Distribution of organisms- stratified- (depth),

Biodiversity of the organisms

2) Abiotic:

Temperature, light-Intensity and Quality, Nutrients, Wave Action, tidal height, Salinity, etc.

D) Identify the Functional Components of the system:

1) Energy Flows- Producers, Consumers, Decomposers, Trophic Levels

2) Material Cycles: ( Biogeochemical Cycles) -Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Carbon, etc.

3) Succession – Temporal and Spatial.

E) Prepare a web-ready page representing the process and findings of this study.

F) Discuss the ways that humans might have an impact on this system.

G) Quantify the populations of the community , (using density and frequency measures)

PROCEDURE:

1. You will work in four groups for this field lab. Special effort should be made to include all members of the group. Decide on a recorder for the group. The end product will be one electronic lab report for each group, made up of the contributions of all.

2. Use the references available and discussion with the teacher to establish a name for the major players in the system.

3. Examine the section of dock skirt assigned to your group. Describe the populations qualitatively and quantitatively .

4. You will be supplied with some tools to measure some of the abiotic factors in the area, Record the change of at least one of those factors over some predetermined unit of time. (a temporal aspect)

5. Produce a full page diagram model of the system being studied using the appropriate Odum symbols. Use different colors to represent energy flow and material cycles.

6. Prepare a web-ready document on the lab, link in photographs done with the video camera. Indicate to the teacher when you have decided which shots you want.

7. Open a glossary file ( Create it in the program EXCEL) on the computers to record new words encountered in this lab. Where you can translate into your own language, make that addition in a column.

OPEN ENDED SUGGESTIONS:

You may wish to work on a few more challenging ideas once you have understood the basics. The following could be done individually or by the group.

1. Is what you see happening here the same 24 hours a day? How can this be included in your model?

2. Can you devise a method to quantify wave action? How significant is it as an abiotic factor?

3. How fast does recolonization or succession take place here in the bay, and what steps does it go through in the process. Could a small scale experiment be set up to monitor this?

4. What is the diversity index of the organisms here ( use Simpson’s Diversity Index)

5. Further work will be done on the plankton of Pedder Bay later on. Is there anything you could do at this point to quantify these important organisms? Is the plankton composition constant from day to day (temporal aspects).

6. Prepare a “Case Study” of one of the organisms in this system. Life cycles- growth rates etc.

7. Design a pyramid of biomass for the system. (This would entail wet or dry weights of the organisms of each trophic level.)

September 1997, Environmental Systems

Garry .Fletcher:. Lester B. Pearson College

STUDENT PAGES

Sophie Desoulieres, Fiona Talbot-Strong, Tamas Vonyo.

Tubeworms Anonymous

The rain was dripping on us as we embarked on our most difficult task of staring at stuff on a rubber skirt attached to the dock on our beautiful campus. Being generally good-natured, we pressed on regardless.

Purpose of the field lab: To observe the unique biodiversity that can be found on a rubber skirt.

Procedure: We looked at the plant and animal life present, learning their names and functions within our system, and measured both the air and water temperatures within that system. We decided the boundaries of our system, i.e. 25 cm deep, one metre long, and one metre from the dock. This being said, we kept in mind that the surrounding area directly affects our system.

tube worms, pink sponge, yellow sponge, limpets, mussels, ulva, school of anchovies, jelly fish, obelia, phytoplankton. The amount of plankton was such that one could see 3.25 metres towards the ocean floor.

Producers: Ulva, phytoplankton, diatoms

Primary consumers: anchovies, limpets,

Secondary consumers: salmon, seagulls ( In general seagulls eat salmon, which makes them tertiary consumers too. )

Abiotic factors:
Temperature: 10.1 C ; Salinity: 27 ppt (parts per thousand)
The salinity rate of the water in Pedder Bay is lower than the one of the Pacific Ocean ( 36 ppt ) As Pedder Bay is in an estuary ( fresh and sea water ).Wave action: There were 5 waves ( about 30cm high ), when a boat passed. We noticed that there were less plankton when we made our measure with the Secchi disc.

===============================================

Forrest Pass , Eri Akamatsu, Kelly Bowen

On September 16, 1997, we went down onto the docks of Pedder Bay to study the marine ecosystem. We took note of the various species of creatures living on the rubber skirt surrounding the dock. We observed that there are many factors affecting the ecosystem, both biotic and abiotic.

Purpose of the Field Lab:

The purpose of the field lab was to formulate a model of the marine ecosystem on the rubber skirt around the college dock.

PROCEDURE:

To begin, we went to the docks and took note of the various creatures we saw on our rubber skirt. We also recorded the factors within our three cubic metre marine system.

Species List:
-Barnacles

-Mussels

-Ulva (Green Algae)

-Limpets

-Seaweeds

-Halochondria (Yellow Sponge)

-Red Filamentous Algae

-Obelia (Something Whitish)
-Isopods
-Little Fish
-Gulls
-Douglas Fir Needle
-Ocean Spray
-Leaves

-Boats (wake and oil residue)
-Guano (contains nitrogen and phosphates)

OBSERVATIONS:

During this lab, we observed the interaction of several marine species. In addition to observing organisms feeding on other organisms (ie: barnacles on plankton, harbour seals on herring or anchovies), we also observed organisms involved in symbiotic relationships. For example, we observed barnacles anchored to limpets. The relationship results in mutual benefit as (a) the barnacles are able to anchor themselves, alleviating problems that could result from “swimming free”, and (b) the barnacles help to discourage predators that could potentially prey on the limpets. There are several other biotic factors that affect the system, including “guano” produced by seagulls that, as it contains phosphates and nitrogen, helps to maintain the balance of nutrients within the system.

We also observed numerous abiotic factors that could , and in all likelihood do, affect the lives of the living organisms. These include the temperature of the water, a factor that helps to determine which organisms can survive in the system; the amount of sunlight to which the system is exposed, a factor which affects the plankton, algae, and seaweed populations; and the salinity of the seawater. Human activity also plays an important role in the system. The wake from boats, pollutants from human sources, and the number of fish caught by commercial fishing fleets and recreational anglers all affect the processes of the system.

It is unlikely that the processes within the system are constant. Seasonal disparities in sunlight, temperature, and animal and human population in and around the system indubitably affect the many of the qualities of the system. For example, a sudden rise in the seagull population could upset the delicate nutrient balance in the system. This sudden change, coupled with favourable amounts of sunlight and warm temperatures, would precipitate a large algae “bloom”. The rise in the seagull population could be a direct result of a drop in the seal population, thus eliminating competition between the two species over their common food source: fish. The decline in the seal population, in turn, could be the result of human economic factors: pollution from seaside industrial projects, or the massacre of seals resulting by fisherman angered by low salmon returns. Thus, abiotic factors that fluctuate throughout the year have a profound impact on the processes of the system and, by extension, on the organisms therein.

Visibility is an indicator of light penetration and is, therefore, an important quantifiable abiotic factor. One uses a Secchi dish to quantify visibility; on September 19, 1997, the Secchi dish was visible to a depth of 3.5 metres. However, in winter, this figure would increase because of the lack of plankton and algae in the frigid water. Human activity on the periphery of the systemwould also have an effect on the visibility; fertilizers carried in runoff from seaside farms could upset the nutrient balance of the system, perhaps creating an algae “bloom” (decreased visibility), while large falls of “acid rain” could adversely affect the pH level within the system, killing off the algae/plankton. The second scenario has occurred in parts of Ontario, creating lakes that are “crystal clear”.

The action of waves and tides have an effect on the system and its member organisms. Tides and waves “flush out” the system, thus helping to maintain the nutrient levels necessary for the survival of organisms within the system. Without tide and wave action, the water in the system would become stagnant. Nutrients, such as nitrogen, would accumulate in the stagnant water, fertilizing algae and other marine plants. While tide action is fairly easy to quantify, the quantification of wave action poses a challenge. One could determine the regularity of waves by counting the number of waves the pass a certain point in an hour (day, month, year) and divide by the number of minutes (hours, days, months) to derive an average. It could also be useful to determine the average height of waves passing a point, or the force with which these waves strike a dock. These would all aid in the quantification of wave action.

Forrest, Eri, Kelly

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Sara Pavan, Giovanni Rosso, Sebastian Ferrero:
For this lab we analysed the system contained in a section of the rubber skirt which protects our docks at Pedder Bay.

PURPOSE: To model the structure and function of the fouling system.

 

BIOTIC STRUCTURE:( Species List )

Polyorchis, Mussels,Isopod,Sea Squirt,Herring,Blue Heron,Cormorant,Harbour seal,Sea Gulls,Limpet

Materials: Thermometer, meter stick, and a spatula

Boundary: Our system included the “I” section of the dock skirt. The environment we considered was 1m deep and ran to the opposite side of the bay. We determined this to be our boundary because it would include factors which influence our small section of the rubber skirt such as mammals, birds and human factors.

Distribution aspects: The most prosperous life forms in our system were the mussels. After taking several measurments in different parts of the skirt we found out that the average density is of about 28 mussels per 25 centimeters squared. These results lead us to the conclusion that there are more or less 1800 shells in the “I” section. They were clumped towards the bottom of the skirt with very few of them near to the surface.

The sea squirts were clumped again around the bottom and were hidden between mussels. Numerous herring and even one polyorcas jellyfish migrated through our system.We sighted many birds entering our system to feed. The distribution was clumped- with a large concentration of lifeforms near the bottom of the rubber skirt, and far less organisms living at the top. Smaller organisms usually used the harder shell of the mussels as shelter and grew underneath them. The isopods in particular could usually find concealment under the cover of seaweed and mussels.

Abiotic: The temperature of the water was 12.5 degrees Celsius while the external temperature was 15 degrees. The light was brighter towards the top of the water. Nutrients in our system were provided by sun light , organic waste, and other materials brought in by the tide and other external factors. Because the tide changed often and fairly extremely, fewer organisms lived above the lowest sea level. It can be assumed that the ones which did were hardier and didn’t require an environment as stable as the ones living further under the water surface.

Docks by night: We also had a chance to observe the piece of skirt we observed during the night and we found out that several other species are apparent at that time. These were: shrimp (Two different species, which grasp on algea, shells and pieces of material also close to the sea level. We noticed that this behavior changes during windy evenings. In fact, they don’t come very near to the surface then, probably because until a certain depth the waves caused by the wind make it difficult for them to swim and grab materials.) ; clam worms (These invertebrates like to swim quite near to the surface especially around light sources); sculpins (These small fish like to search for food under the green algae beside the mussels) ; herring (These fish can also easily be seen during the day but at night they seem to be less active); small crabs (Some crabs appear near to the surface, but only small ones); fluorescent organisms (We never saw these organisms before. They look like small larvae and glow with a greenish light. They also like to swim near to light sources. The reddish brown striped shrimp seem to be slower but better protected by a larger thicker shell); seals (As almost all the organisms we listed above they are also far more daring at night when they come quite close to the docks.

Human impact: During the day the area around the docks is constantly crowded by boats which travel from the marina to the open sea and back. This causes both noise pollution and pollution of the water through oil, and waste products. Both these factors cause the animals to become more reticent during the day. Algae and shells don’t have the capability to react because they don’t have the ability to move but ” intelligent” animals such as seals, birds and fish often build a realtionship with human beings which permits them to find food easily. The best way in which people can operate in an environment is by respecting it and not trying to change the habits of the creatures that live inside it. Concluding we could say that as the number of human beings increases the density of animals who can’t move diminishes meanwhile the others can diminish , increase or remain the same as long as the new conditions are beneficial to them. Some animals might also be leaving during the day and coming back at night when the whole bay is more peaceful.

Density: We already have mentioned some of the density and distribution aspects of organisms living on the skirt before, but now we would like to spend a few words talking about animals which swim or fly around it : CORMORANTS ( These big black birds that have the habit of staying on the top branches, preferably if not covered by leaves, of high trees which grow near to the water usually gather in large groups until they haven’t covered the space they can use to sleep. In the bay they aren’t bigger of a dozen but at Race rocks, for example, the groups probably count hundreds of units.) ; SEALS ( These animals get near to the docks especially at night or during rainy days when the boat traffic is less intense and they aren’t normally more than two or three, but they don’t stay still in one place, instead they move around all over the place); KINGFISHERS ( These cute small birds are quite scared from human beings therefore they can normally be seen in the distance, mostly alone.); SEA GULLS ( Their density is usually higher on rainy days when they gather in flocks and search for food in the middle of the bay, otherwise they can be seen flying quite high in the sky but then their number isn’t very high); BIG FISH ( We suppose that during the day they stay in the middle of the bay in deep water and in repaired places away from noise and predators; we noticed although that the herring near to the bay sometimes jump scared out of the water at night, we therefore think that this is because both seals and big fish come near to the surface and the skirt; BALD EAGLES ( These huge birds seem to be quite rare around the bay but during these weeks we saw two or three circling high in the sky.)

Waves: As we mentioned before we noticed that waves have a great influence on the animal behavior around the skirt, but we think that it also interacts with animals at a certain depth because the bigger the waves are and the more intense the current is the more food and material you get carried into the bay, therefore fish become more active. The opposite end of the issue is that any pollution or negative influences will also enter the system faster.

It is quite hard to quantify waves although we could measure the highest point reached by one of them on a stick attaching it to the docks and then the lowest one when the water settles down; we could then approximate the number of waves by counting the ones which pass through a certain spot in a certain lap of time and describe then their shape . This procedure could probably give as a quite clear idea of what the sea was like on a certain day.

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Sarah McEachern, Karine Gaulin, Marieve Therriault

The Astounding Ecological System of Pedder Bay

It was the sixteenth day of September; a dark, rainy, dismal day when our brilliant Environmental Systems teacher got the ingenious idea of forcing us out into the elements. We plunged our hands into the ocean in search of life forms. We strained our eyes to catch sight of passing jelly fish and anchovies, we scraped our hands on barnacles and clams and we nearly fell into Pedder bay trying to count mussels.

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Organisms of the Fouling System

by: Michal Mlcousek, Eva Mejnertz,

t was a rainy morning when we went to Pedder Bay. We were supposed to survey many organisms, which we haven’t seen before in our countries. It was a very nice introduction to a new subject – Environmental systems, which aim is an attempt to understand and realize everything as a system, depending on many factors.
Purpose of the field lab : To gain a better understanding of the structure and function of the eco system, through a practical exercise.

Procedure: We lifted the rubber skirt protecting the docks, to observe the many organisms that were part of the system, depending on each other.

Structure biotic species list:

By Michal Mlcousek,and Eva Mejnertz

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By: Merideth Shaw, Kuba Fast, Rocio Martinez, Monica Segura

Introduction

In our first environmental systems lab we went down to the college docks to examine the ecosystem of its protective rubber skirt. Pearson College is located on the northern shore of Pedder Bay, at the southern end of Vancouver Island. The bay is open to the southeast to Juan de Fuca Strait. It has a rock shoreline and is about 10 meters deep. It has tides of up to 3.3 metres, with the waves of up to 2.5 metres in extreme. The weather conditions around Pedder Bay are not at all severe – with usually wet and mild winters and cold and dry summers, with very low annual temperature amplitudes. Due to their southern exposure, the docks receive a fair amount of direct sunlight.

Purpose of this lab

The purpose of this lab is to model the structure and function of the Pearson College docks’ fouling system

Biotic structure

(i) Species list

also : – isopods,– small fish.

plantae:– ulva,– filamentous diatom.

By: Merideth Shaw, Kuba Fast, Rocio Martinez, Monica Segura

 

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By: Nick Lanham , Alex Gesheva, Andreina Torres Angarita

 

Purpose

To model the structure and function of the ecosystem of the life growing on the rubber skirt using a functional diagram with Odum symbols.

 

Biotic Structure

Species List:

 

 Mussels  Limpets
 Isopods  Barnacles
 Algae( Ulva)  Algae (Diatom)

 

Horizontal Distribution:

The organisms in our system were, for the most part, evenly distributed horizontally along our system. The exceptions were mussels, which were clumped in some areas, and very sparse in others, and the limpets, which were randomly scattered throughout.

 

Vertical Distribution:

There was a clearly defined vertical distribution in our system. The young Ulva algae grew near the top, as it needs more light and heat and as we moved deeper the mussels and older algae began to show up.

Abiotic Factors

We took 2 separate measurments of the temperature of the air and of the water in our system. The average air temp was 16.5. The water avarage was 10.5.

System Boundary:

By: Nick L. , Alexandra G., Andreina T.