Field Trip information: 2015

May 21, 2015Cost: $5Bus leaves at 8amBring a lunch and a frisbee or football to throw around.Wear tennis shoes, longer pants, jacket layers, and consider a poncho.You’ll want extra socks and maybe dry shoes to leave in the bus.If you bring a camera, bring it in a ziploc bag.

1. Notice that the Western (left) half of the state is a different color than the Eastern (right) half of the state. What do you think accounts for this difference?

2. What is the white stuff to the lower left in the picture?

3. If the Cascade range was removed, what do you think the weather in Western Washington would be like?

Satellite picture of Washington State and British Columbia

Topographic map of Washington State

4. State three ways that this map is different from the map on the previous slide.

5. What does the green on this map represent? What does the dark red/purplish color represent?

Locate Grays Harbor on this map.

Source of map: http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/PlateTectonics/Maps/map_plate_tectonics_cascades.html

• 200 million years ago, the North American plate started moving west.

•About 50 million years ago, the Juan de Fuca Plate broke off of another plate as it was stuck between the North American and the Pacific Plates

How the Olympic Coast formed (The Juan de Fuca Sandwich)

6. Which continental plate do we live on?

7. How many volcanoes are there in the Cascade mountain range?

The Olympics

– The Olympic Mountains were an ancient sea floor.– When the Juan de Fuca plate collided with the North

American plate, the Olympics were scraped onto the North American Continent and uplifted into the atmosphere by surrounding geologic pressures.

– This took a few million years. Give or take. – http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/earth/shock.html

8. Click on the link above, and watch the animation of the rise of the Himalayas. This is similar to the rise of the Olympics. What color are the mountains in this animation?

9. Do you think it is possible to find fossils of sea creatures at the top of the Olympics? Why? Or why not?

Mt. Olympus, The tallest peak on the Olympic

Peninsula.Source: http://www.peakware.com/encyclopedia/peaks/photos/olympus1.htm

Mount Olympus isn’t a volcano. This means it will never erupt.

Grays Harbor

Olympic Mountains

Willapa Hills

CascadeMountain

Range

Topographical Map, Western Washington StateSource: http://access.wa.gov/government/images/wa.gif

Modified by Christyna Paris

Columbia River

Coastal Mountain

Range

10. What mountain range are the Olympics part of?

11. Are there volcanoes in the Cascade mountain range? How do you know?

12. Find Grays Harbor. To the east, there are hills. Name these hills.

13. Explain how the weather in Grays Harbor would be different without the hills.

Grays Harbor Estuary

• Where freshwater flows into saltwater

• Where migratory fish adapt to changes in the salt content of the water before they go to sea

• Click on the link. Read the brief explanation of estuaries.

• http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/estuaries/media/supp_estuar05a_wedge.html

14. Which is denser, salt water or freshwater?

15. Name three rivers that have salt-wedge estuaries.

The Olympic Coasthttp://

www.cr.nps.gov/history/

online_books/geology/

publications/state/wa/1973-66/sec2-

1.htm

16. Click on the link. In the article, find out:a) How and when the older rock beds formed.b) What the younger rock deposits came fromc) How long ago the coast started eroding to its present position.

Point Grenville is a part of the Quinault Indian Nation’s ancestral land holdings

              

                

Quinault woman carrying wood

on beach at Point Grenville Washington, in drawing made

ca.1885

ORIGINAL CREATORWilloughby, Sarah, 1841-1913

A Rich History

Point Grenville

This is where we are going on our field trip.

We are granted special permission to use this area, treat it with respect or we could lose this privilege.

In the 1960’s this beach was a popular surfing area. The beach was closed to the general public because it was being trashed.

Rules for Tidepools1. Try to stay dry.2. Stay within sight of the main group.3. Only step on bare rock, not plants or animals.4. If you pick up a rock to look under it, put it back the same way. If you don’t, it’ll kill the things that live on and under it.

The Tidal Ecosystem

WHAT CAUSES THE TIDES?• Tides are caused by the gravitational interaction between the Earth and the

Moon. • The gravitational attraction of the moon causes the oceans to bulge out in the

direction of the moon. • Another bulge occurs on the opposite side, since the Earth is also being pulled

toward the moon (and away from the water on the far side).

• Since the earth is rotating while this is happening, two high tides occur each day. Isaac Newton was the first person to explain tides scientifically.

17. What causes the oceans to bulge out in the direction of the moon?

18. What would happen to the water on the earth if the moon disappeared?

Tides• The sun and the moon

move in cycles affecting the flow and ebb of the tides.

• Here in the Pacific, we have two high and low tides of unequal heights each day.

• Between each high and low tide there is a time difference of approximately six hours.

19. How many high tides are there in a day?

20. What is happening to the water between high tide and low tide?

21. What challenges does an organism face if it lives on a rock in a tide zone?

Tide Zones•Tidepools, which are exposed at low tide, occur within a small strip of land known as the intertidal zone. •Sandwiched between the shore and the ocean, tidepools are extraordinary, teeming with hundreds of marine organisms. •In the picture: Notice that some of the sand is completely under the waves, some is wet, some is drying out, and some is dry.

22. How do you think the tide zones at a beach can be found? (think about the picture…)

22. Which zone is underwater most of the time?

23. Which one is the driest tide zone?

24. Are there actual lines that separate the zones on the beach?

25. Are the animals the same in all tide zones? (Look at the picture.)

26. Give two ways that you could tell the tide zones apart if you were at the beach….

27.

•Draw this zone diagram (you can leave out the organisms. Just draw the rock.) Leave space to write things.

•Label each zone

•Go through the organism slides and write the name of each organism in EVERY tide zone that it inhabits.

You’ll see these at the beach. Please do the following:

• Read every slide.

• 28.

• Pick five of the organisms and write down the following information about them:

a) Name of the organism

b) Tide zone it lives in.

c) What it eats.

d) How it moves (or if it moves).

e) One other interesting fact about the organism.

Point Grenville Creatures

Aggregate AnemoneAnthopleura elegantissima

Habitat: Rocky intertidal mid tide zoneEats: fishes. algae, plankton, snails, crabsEaten by: Sea stars, nudibrachsMoves: Usually attached.Drying: Aggregate anemones can be hard to see in intertidal ecosystems because they are so covered by bits of shells and rocks. This protects them from the sun's heat and drying out.Reproduction: Often, they reproduce by asexual dividing. They can also sexually reproduce.

Notes: Because aggregate anemones often reproduce asexually, whole colonies can be made up of individuals with the same genes. These colonies conduct wars on other colonies that try to crowd into their territories. They release chemicals that repel invading colonies. 

•Aggregate anemones out of the water

•Aggregate anemones in the water

                                                                                      

Barnacle(Balanus sp.)Habitat: High to low tide zone; attached to rocks, shellsEats: PlanktonEaten by: Drill snails, seastars, worms, fishes, birdsFeeds: Sweeps plankton into mouth with feathery feet.Moves: When they are young, they swim as plankton. Adults glue their head to something stable.Defense: Withdraws into shellDrying: Closes shellReproduction: Hermaphroditic (both male and female); internal fertilization.Notes: The glue they use to attach themselves is one of the strongest natural adhesives known. It is used in human dentistry! hotograph by Nancy Sefton

•Barnacle in the water, feeding

•Barnacle out of the water, trying not to dry out

                                                                                        

Giant Green Anemone(Anthopleura xanthogrammica)Habitat: Mid to low tide zone, attached to rocks.Eats: Fishes, algae, plankton, snails, crabsEaten by: Nudibranchs, seastars, snails, fishesFeeds: Paralyzes prey with stinging cells on tentaclesSwallows prey whole, spits our shell and indigestible parts.Moves: Attaches in clustersDefense: Stinging cells called nematocystsDrying: Covers with shell bits and closes upReproduction: Reproduces both sexually and asexually (through budding). Separate sexes fertilize externally.Notes: A green algae lives inside these anemones and give them a plant-like color. Studies show that anemones that live in caves and lack algae loose weight faster when food is not available.

Photograph by Lisa Eschenbach

•Anemone larvae

                                                                                                  

Chiton(Black Chiton: Katherina tunicata)Habitat: Mid to low tide zone; attached to rocksEats: Bacteria, algaeEaten by: Gulls, seastars, crabs, fishes, anemonesFeeds: Grazes with raspy tongue-like "radula"Moves: Glides slowly on foot; most active at night.Defense: Clamps to rocks, or rolls in a ball if dislodged.Drying: 8 interlocking plates enable it to conform to uneven rock surfaces and seal tightly.Reproduction: Separate sexes; external fertilizationNotes: Carries "hitchhikers"; hydroids, byozoans, algae, barnacles, limpets, sponges, others. Largest species in the world is found in the Pacific Northwest Region: the gumboot chiton.

Photograph by Nancy Sefton

Razor Clams(Siliqua patula)Habitat: Sand beaches; low tide zone to sub-tidal zoneEats: Filters the water for planktonDefense: Buries itself quickly into the sand.

Notes: Razor Clams have been known to live 18 years, though their average life-span is five years. Razor Clams have been found up to one-half mile offshore. Domoic acid collects in the tissue of Razor Clams. This naturally occurring by-product of phytoplanktons is poisonous to humans. It appears that domoic acid rates are increasing and human impacts may be the cause. Scientists are studying this relationship.

Green CrabsCarcinus maenas

Habitat: Rocky intertidal, low to subtidal zoneEats: Detritus, other crabsDefenses: Pinchers

Notes: Green crabs are an invasive species from Europe. They prey on other crabs. Ecologists are closely monitoring their population growth because they are both an ecological and economic threat to Dungeness and other crab species. So far, they have been found in Gray's harbor to the south of the Sanctuary and Vancouver Island to the north. They were accidentally introduced to the Pacific Northwest.

To identify Green Crabs, remember, 5-3-5. They have five lobes on the outside of their left eye, three lobes between their eyes and five lobes on the outside of their right eye. Although it is called the green crab, it can be orange or red as well. Color is not a good way to identify the green crab in general because many crabs can have a greenish color.

If you find a green crab matching this description, call the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at 360-796-4601.

                                                                                                  

Hermit Crab(Pangurus armatus)

Habitat: Mid tide zone; tidepoolsEats: ScavengesEaten by: BirdsFeeds: Uses claws to bring food to mouthMoves: Crawls with legs.Defense: Withdraws into shell; large claws act like a shield to block entrance.Drying: Finds refuge in tidepools and under rocksReproduction: Separate sexes; external fertilization. Eggs attach to female's abdomen.Notes: There are many different types of Hermit Crabs. They all inhabit discarded shells. May have sponges, barnacles and others "hitching" a ride on their shells.

Photograph by Nancy Sefton

                                                                                       

Kelp Crab(Pugettia producta)Habitat: Low tide to deep watersEats: Brown kelp and sometimes other animalsReproduction: Mating takes place in deeper waters in the late fallNotes: The color of this crab closely matches the color of the kelp it eats. In the fall, adults migrate to deeper water. They return to the intertidal in December. As the kelp crab ages, it becomes increasingly carnivorous.

OCNMS library

                                                                                                

 Purple Shore Crab( Hemigrapsus nudus; green: H orgonerisis)Habitat: Mid to low tide zone; under rocksEats: Green algaeEaten by: Fishes, birdsFeeds: With large pincersMoves: Scurries sideways with legsDefense: Hides under rocks; burrows into mudDrying: Can withstand long periods out of waterReproduction: Separate sexes; internal fertilization. The female broods eggs between her tail and abdomenNotes: What looks like a dead crab, may just be the discarded outgrown shell- the molt. Photograph by Nancy Sefton

Crab Larva

                       

 

Sea Cucumber(Cucumaria miniata)Habitat: Low tide zoneEats: Detritus (dead material) and planktonEaten by: Fishes and crabsFeeds: Mucus-coated tentacles "mop up" plankton and other materials. Tentacles are then licked clean.Moves: Crawls with tube feetDefense: Retracts tentacles. Tightly lodges itself between rocks. Can spit out its own guts and regenerate its internal organs.Drying: Nestles between rocks, in moist places has thick skin.Reproduction: Separate sexes, external fertilization.

Keyhole Limpet(Diodora aspera)Habitat: Low to sub-tidal zone; attached to rocksEats: AlgaeEaten by: Seastars, birdsFeeds: Scrapes algae off the rocks with radulaMoves: Moves with one foot; most return to a particular "home" during the day.Defense: Clamps to rocks using 70 pounds of force.Drying: Active at night, when covered with waterReproduction: Separate sexes; external fertilizationNotes: Bryozoans, small barnacles and algae may grow on shells. This limpet can cover its shell with its mantle (a piece of its body). This can prevents their predator, the sea stars, from being able to attach their tube feet.

                                                               

California Mussel(Mytilus californianus)Habitat: Mid tide zone; attached to rocks, or shellsEats: PlanktonEaten by: Seastars, ribbon worms, drill snails, crabs, birds, fishes, sea otters, and humans. Human should be cautious when eating mussels because they can cause Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning.Feeds: Filter-feeds; traps plankton with mucusMoves: Attaches with thin, black "byssal" threads".Notes: Mussel beds create homes for other animals. In one study, a plot the size of one square foot yielded 4,711 individuals from 22 different species.

Photograph by Nancy Sefton

                                                                                         

 

Octopus(Octopus dofleini)Habitat: Subtidal in rock caves; tidepoolsEats: Mollusks, crabs, fishesEaten by: Large fishes, wolf eels, crabsFeeds: Attacks prey with arms; parrot-like beak covered with poison kills and digests prey.Moves: Propels by expelling water through siphons. Crawls with tentacles.Defense: Fast swimmer, and can squirt an ink "fog screen". Can change color to camouflage to the surroundings. Uses tentacles for fighting.Reproduction: Separate sexes; internal fertilization. Mother protects eggs for 4 months.Notes: Octopus have a highly developed brains and eyes. The world's largest species live in the Pacific Northwest Region and can grow to 30 feet long and weigh 600 pounds.

Photograph by Mary Sue Brancato

Smooth Bay Shrimp(Crangon stylirostris)

Habitat: Low tide zone; sandy beachesEats: Small crustaceans and small clamsEaten by: Large fishes, octopuses, anemones, crabs, humansFeeds: With specialized feeding appendagesMoves: Swims very quicklyDefense: Spines on upper bodyReproduction: Separate sexes; internal fertilization. Eggs attach beneath tail of females.Notes: Antennae are chemical and tactile sensors. Commercially important.

Pacific Blood StarHenricia leviuscula

Habitat: Low tide zoneEats: Sponges and bacteria and other small particles it traps with mucus. This food is thentransported up to its mouth with cilliary tracks.Eaten by: BirdsReproduction: Smaller females brood their young, while larger females release their eggsdirectly into the deeper waters. Sea Stars greatest enemies are human collectors.

Sponge

Cliona species

Habitat: Low tide zone. Lives attached to rocks, shells, wood and kelpEats: PlanktonEaten by: Nudibranchs and some sea starsFeeds: Filter feedsMoves: Lives attachedReproduces: Hermaphroditic (both male and female); internal fertilization; or asexual budding.

Notes: Can be a home for other animals such as small crustaceans and worms. Secretes an acid to dissolve shells. This helps to turn shells into sand. Some sponges have symbiotic algae living in them.

Photograph by Lisa Eschenbach

                                                                                         

Ochre Sea StarPisaster ochraceus

Habitat: Low tide zone; rocksEats: Clams, mussels, barnacles, oysters, snails, limpets, chitonsEaten by: Gulls, sea ottersFeeds: Arms clamp to prey and force shell open. They can then place their stomach into the prey with an opening of only .1 mm. It can take 2-3 days to digest their prey.Moves: Moves swiftly with thousands of suction-cup tube feet.Defense: Can regenerate lost arms if part of their central disc is intact. Tweezer-like "pedicellariae" on their upper surface keep anything from settling on them and clogging the breathing ability of their skinDrying: Thick skin prevents dryingReproduction: Separate sexes; external fertilizationNotes: Same species may be orange, purple, burgandy, or brown. Light sensitive eyespots are on the tip of each arm. Photograph by Nancy Sefton

                                                                                                   

Calcareous Tube Worm(Serpula vermicularis)

Habitat: Mid to low tide zone: attached to rocks and shellsEats: PlanktonEaten by: Fish nip off tentaclesFeeds: Filter-feeds with tentaclesMoves: Lives in hard white tubeDefense: Withdraws tentaclesDrying: Closes tube entranceReproduction: Separate sexes; internal fertilizationNotes: Tube may extend 2-3 feet. Microscopic hair-like cilia pulse in unison to draw plankton to the mouth like an automated assembly line. Mucus is secreted to grow and repair the tubes this worm lives in.

Photograph by Nancy Sefton

                                                                                        

Sea Urchins(Strongylocentrotus sp.)

Habitat: Low tide zone; on rocksEats: SeaweedEaten by: Sea otters, Seastars, crabs, gullsFeeds: Tube feet pass seaweed to mouth; chews with a 5 pointed jaw called "Aristotle's Lantern"Moves: Moves on tube feet and spinesDefense: Spines protect from predation. Tweezer-like "pedicellariae" keep anything from attaching to them.Drying: Covers body with bits of shell to reflect the sunReproduction: Separate sexes; external fertilization

Notes: Three species; green, red and purple. The shell is called a "test". The green urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) has the longest scientific name in the animal kingdom! Urchin populations have damaged kelp populations in areas where Sea Otters have not kept urchin populations in check. OCNMS Library

                                                                                        

PeriwinklesHabitat: High to low tide zone; on rocksEats: DetritusEaten by: Sea otters, Seastars, crabs, gullsFeeds: Uses radula (like other snails)Moves: Moves on tube feet and spinesDefense: Spines protect from predation. Tweezer-like "pedicellariae" keep anything from attaching to them.Drying: Covers body with bits of shell to reflect the sunReproduction: Separate sexes; external fertilization

Notes: Three species; green, red and purple. The shell is called a "test". The green urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) has the longest scientific name in the animal kingdom! Urchin populations have damaged kelp populations in areas where Sea Otters have not kept urchin populations in check. OCNMS Library

Rock Fish

Tide pools of all zones

Much smaller than this picture

Feather Duster Tube Worm

Low to mid tide

Open up to show red worm inside

Thatch Barnacle

Barnacle Larvae

•Limpets•Limpets are one-shelled, cone-shaped Mollusks. •look like shields.•graze on algae•most are found in the high intertidal area. •Predators include sea stars, birds, crabs and fish. They are often found along with barnacles, mussels, or whelks on rocks.

•California Mussel

IMPORTANT

PHOTOSYNTHETIC

ORGANISMS

•SEA LETTUCE—Food for some, hiding place for others. Often ripped down to a nubbin

•Surf grass—Food for some, hiding place for others. Kind of sharp.

Population Surveys

•The PVC tube squares are called quadrats. You count every organism inside the quadrat.

•Identify the tide zone you are in by the organisms you see. OCHRE SEA STARS don’t live in the high tide zone.

•Nori—very slick seaweed. Used to make sushi.

•Giant Kelp—usually not in the tidepools on purpose…

•Winged kelp—glues itself to rocks in the tide zone. Great hiding place for crabs, seaslugs, etc…

Size: 4-8 cm or 1.5 to 3 inches tallHabitat: High tide zone; on rocksPhylum: Red AlgaeCaloric Value: HighEaten by: Sometimes LimpetsVegetation present year-round?: YesReproduction: Bottlebrush algae has two life cycles (one reproductive and one not) that are indistinguishable.

Notes: Bottlebrush algae is well adapted to the high intertidal zone with a resistance to drying and the ability to withstand relatively high temperatures.

•Black Pine Algae—Very small, not a lot at the tidepools (usually).