The Fat Gaper: Tresus capax on Taylor Beach

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We often come across these empty shells of  Tresus capax the Fat Gaper on the shores of Taylor Beach. They live buried in the sand in the shallow water offshore. Around the opening of the siphon, Tresus capax  has small palps around each opening which distinguishes it from other bivalves.

Pacific Geoduck, Panopea abrupta

Fat Gaper : ( Tresus capax)

Classification::
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Veneroida
Family: Mactridae
Genus: Tresus
Species: Tresus capax (Gould, 1850)

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The Fat Gaper, Tresus capax . Note the size in comparison to a glove.

Useful References: E-fauna BC page on bivalve Molluscs:

 

Pododesmus (Monia) macroschisma

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The false pacific jingle shell, or rock oyster, often comes ashore on Taylor Beach attached to the holdfasts of kelp.

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Various species of kelp have attached their holdfasts to this rock oyster shell, leading to it being detached and carried ashore on Taylor Beach.

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One of the valves of Pododesmus sp.

 

Pododesmus (Monia) macroschisma (Deshayes, 1839)

 

Reference: Peter’s seashells

 

River Otter: Lontra canadensis on the Metchosin Coastline

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When she was an ecoguardian at Race Rocks in 2010, Raisa Mirza took this excellent photo of a river otter, just out of the water, eating a female kelp greenling .

River otters are fairly common along our shores.  Thus an entry for our species posts. In four stretches of shoreline in particular, we can expect to find them, where they have dens and produce offspring yearly.

1.  At Race Rocks
2. In Pedder Bay
3  At the entrance to Gooch Creek
4.  Along the Taylor Beach blufffs.

 

The Pearson College Marine Science reference has several references and images available on river otters.   riverotters atpc
Domain:  Eukarya
Kingdom:  Animalia
Phylum:  Chordata
Class:  Mammalia
Order:  Carnivora
Family:  Mustelidae
Subfamily:  Lutrinae
Genus:  Lontra
Species:  canadensis pacifica (Schreber, 1977)
Common Name: River Otter

One should be cautioned when walking dogs on Taylor Beach to restrain them if otters are in the area. Otters have been known to attack even large dogs that have pursued them into the ocean.

The problem with plastic rope

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ropedebris

This image was taken after two walks on half of Taylor beach after a set of swells from the East in the past week. G. Fletcher photo.

It may not be obvious to the casual beach stroller, but the bits and pieces of plastic rope one sees occasionally can be a real hazard in the ocean. When the plastic breaks down ( It never really breaks down, it just turns into smaller pieces) it can be taken up into the gills of fish and invertebrates, where it can eventually become lethal.

Rather sad when you know that all these pieces of rope could have been disposed of properly instead of just being thrown carelessly into the ocean.

Solution: require all  plastic rope used in the marine environment to be completely biodegradable after a certain length of time in the water or on a beach.

An additional insideous problem here is the small ring band of white plastic strapping on the right . This kind of band used in bundling fishing nets is what we see impaled on the necks of sealions.

Check out images of the results on the Race Rocks website .

Also see Entanglement

Interesting Reference: http://5gyres.org/ on Plastic Pollution Accumulating in Oceanic Gyres.

Coastal erosion as a sediment source – implications for shoreline management

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Puget Sound Feeder Bluffs: Coastal erosion as a sediment source and its implications for shoreline management Shipman et al 2014 .
See the PDF: pugetsoundhardening1406016

feederbluffreport

This report examines the role of eroding bluffs as a source of sediment for Puget Sound beaches and includes a review of related geology and coastal processes. It summarizes recent mapping of feeder bluffs and examines ways in which this information can be used to improve shoreline management.

This report is one part of a larger project on Puget Sound feeder bluffs that also includes maps and a series of web pages that cover much of the material in this report. The project was funded by EPA and the WA Department of Fish and Wildlife. Hugh Shipman and colleagues  published this  important report on feeder bluffs processes and management. Coastal Watershed Index of Port Angeles has been working on the complex and critical topic of feeder bluff management for over a decade. One of their biggest challenges is imparting the critical and unique elements of feeder bluff function and management (including the reality that there are no ‘soft armoring’ techniques appropriate for this land form ). This report provides scientific and management focus specifically to feeder bluffs of the Salish Sea- it’s long overdue.

 

feederbluffmaps

 

Part 2 is of the maps of feeder bluffs of Puget sound:

 

 

 

Accessed Nov 4, 2014 at :
https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/SummaryPages
Maps: https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/publications/1406016part2.pdf/1406016.html.

See More on Feeder Bluff mapping:

 

 

 

 

 

Publication: Protecting Your Communities Coastal Assets

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Local Leadership in marine planning: Local governments on B.C.’s Coast have the power to protect the ecosystems we depend on.

This report describes easily accessible resources local governments can use to maintain aquatic Ecosystem Value and Productivity, including maps and tools to guide decisions and bylaws regarding management of activities on land , and in intertidal and sub-tidal zones.

protectingassetsicon

 

Download .pdf from this website

or

Originally available here:
powerinhands

Red-breasted merganser : Mergus serrator

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Red-breasted merganser female (Mergus serrator)

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Female red-breasted merganser popping up to the surface after a dive . G. Fletcher photos

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Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Subfamily: Merginae
Genus: Mergus
Species: M. serrator
Common name : Red-breasted Merganser

Mergansers nest in the fresh-water lakes of the north and then migrate to the Pacific Coastal waters where they feed on small forage fish in the winter. In the past  few weeks a large flock of female red-breasted and possibly mixed common mergansers has been working the waters off Taylor Beach.

They may be joined by males in the spring.

Taylor Beach and November sun.

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The skies are clear this week with out-flow winds from the northeast clearing the view of Mount Baker and the Olympic Mountains. With this comes colder temperatures and a few degrees of frost at night. Rains are expected to return next week.

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View North to Victoria, with Mount Baker (in Northern Washington State)  in the distance .

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Mid-afternoon view south to William Head and the Olympic Mts. in the background.

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View East over Taylor Beach where the tanker and container ship traffic looms precariously.

 

Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) on Taylor Beach

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The remains of an Octopus on Taylor Beach

Not a great picture but the remains of evidence that offshore of Taylor Beach, the giant pacific octopus goes through its life cycle, which is very short.. just a few years.

rmoctopus3See the entry on the Race Rocks website for the octopus

Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Octopoda
Suborder: Incirrata
Family: Octopodidae
Genus: Enteroctopus
Species: dofleini (Hochberg, 1998)
Common Name Giant Pacific Octopus