Tide pooling (7/17)

     Today Crista and I went out again with Nate, Annie and Anne on an abalone survey.  While waiting to depart Shannon Point I chatted with Shad for a bit.  He is working with Dr. Bingham on anemones.  His outdoor tank has various levels of light and he carefully measures and places anemones then sees how far they move over time. 

Shad placing his light filtering system over the anemone tank.

One challenge Shad faces is how to count movement when the anemones split as they are apt to do.   How does he account for that in his findings of how far they have moved?

The bottom anemone is in the process of splitting. 

     Today was special for Anne and Annie as this was their first dive without Nate.  For the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) scientific diving certification they were required to make a certain amount of dives with Nate which they had completed.  (I will be working towards this certification myself soon, the first step is my advanced open water course and rescue diver.)

Dive flags in the sun.

Divers below.

      After the ladies descended Nate dropped Crista and I off on the shore to tidepool and explore the intertidal zone.  Of course it is very rocky and there is no dock so he pulled amazingly close to rocks and we jumped for it.  We both managed to make it without falling in.  We had a blast exploring a beach so untouched by human hands, we found only some pvc wedged in rocks and a small inflatable boat that we saved.

Practicing in a small tidepool.

Isopods cuddle in a crack in the rock.

Isopods are somewhat prehistoric looking,

This little guy was hiding in the tide pool under algae I moved.

Gooseneck barnacle.

After the divers ascended and climbed back on the boat they came and picked us up off the rocks.  Again we took a leap of faith into the helping hands of our fellow students are were not disappointed.

The Fauna.

Happy divers.