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Betweentides 9-12 Web BETWEEN the TIDES Friends of Fitzgerald Marine Reserve September 2012 From the Editors: Recent activity centered around was completed in 2010, an unprecedented, decade-long, counting marine animals in the tidepools has prompted global inventory called the First Census of Marine Life us to make surveys the focus of this issue: what is being 2010. The resulting report of Census highlights is a counted, where the information is going, and what the brilliant, beautifully illustrated document. We hope the future plans are. And to give a global perspective, we articles printed here will be of interest and motivate you decided to review the accomplishments of a survey that to explore some of the websites we have listed. Citizen Science at Pillar Point Reef: bringing scientists and volunteers together to document biodiversity by Alison Young On June 5, 6, and 7, 2012, cars started pulling up in the Pillar Point parking lot just as dawn was breaking. People in rubber boots, clutching donuts and cups of coffee, introduced themselves to one another as this group walked out to the reef. Many of them were docents with Friends of Fitzgerald, others Beach Watch volunteers with Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, some were scientists. Everyone had a com- mon interest: the rocky intertidal. Despite the early morning, the mood was enthusiastic. What were all these people doing out there so early in the morning, three days in a row? Not only did the first week of June have some of the lowest tides of the year, but the California Academy of Sciences was con- ducting a “citizen science test case” by means of a survey of the reef’s biodiversity, and these people had volunteered to be the “citizen scientists.” Citizen science is an intersection of education and re- search. The definition varies depending on what source you’re looking at, but generally it applies to any research project where non-professional scientists are involved in some part of Citizen Scientists carefully exploring the reef the scientific process—often gathering data. Because the Cali- fornia Academy of Sciences is an institution with both a public education space and an active research division, we have a strong interest in citizen science; not only does it promote scientific literacy, but it can also further our research goals, especially those requiring that data be collected over a large geo- graphic area. continued on page 3 June 6 Quarterly Nudibranch Survey Friends of Julie Walters rounded up 9 volunteers at 7 a.m. to participate in the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve June 6, 2012, nudibranch count. Quarterly counts are usually conducted at FMR, but due to a recent San Mateo County review of policy this one was P.O. Box 669 held at the Pillar Point tidepools. Here is a brief summary of the findings: Moss Beach, CA 94038 Phone: 650.728.3584 106 individual nudibranchs The most commonly found were: www.fitzgeraldreserve.org 20 different species Dendronotus subramosa 29 Board of Directors: 2.5 hours of survey time Triopha catalinae 18 Bob Breen -1.9 tide Triopha maculata 15 Joseph Centoni Thanks to all who participated: Scott Snow, Dot Norris, Piming Lai, Susan Evans, Linda Ciotti Tom Ciotti, Karen Madsen, Kris Lannin, Jan Pelinka, and Sasha Greenawalt u Tom Ciotti, President Marsha Cohen Mary DeLong, Vice President Susan Evans Roger Hoppes Bill Kennedy Jenna Kinghorn Karen Madsen Dr. Tom Niesen Hope Suchsland, Treasurer Our Mission: Two Dendronotus subramosa, To inspire the preservation of our unique intertidal different colors environment through education and the support of research. Newsletter Editors: Janet Pelinka Dendronotus subramosa, Sasha Greenawalt another view Consultant: Jenna Kinghorn Design and Production: Martie Sautter Sautter Graphics and Print Webmaster: Sandy Emerson The graph displayed across the page bottoms shows tides The lowest tides this period are: for 9/18/12 to 01/05/13. Where the date appears is mid- night. The reefs are accessible for exploring during low -1.06 10/17 6:48 pm tides—at least 0 or below. See: http://fitzgeraldreserve.org/ -1.62 11/15 5.33 pm resources and click on “Tides” for a more detailed tide -1.78 12/13 4:31 pm chart. -1.45 1/11 4:17 pm Good summer tides are in the early morning. There are almost equally low tides several days before and several days after the noted low tide dates. 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 +5 0 -2 Sept Oct 2 www.fitzgeraldreserve.org • September 2012 Citizen Science from page 1 This year the Academy redefined its ver- • The nudibranch Han- sion of citizen science. We wanted any projects cockia californica was we undertook to have an overall theme, and we found, previously decided to focus on California biodiversity. It recorded only one other is also important to us to have our citizen sci- time at Pillar Point. ence projects tied to a real research question at • The ecentlyr described sea star Henricia pumila During the 14 hours of the three survey was found (previously grouped with Henricia days, 46 volunteers and seven Academy staff leviuscula). Spiny brittle star, Ophiothrix spiculata explored the Pillar Point reef. Over 200 • While the porcelain crab individual organisms were documented, Petrolisthes eriomerus comprising around 150 species. was documented nu- merous times, the flat porcelain crab P. crassipes, the Academy, and for them to have conservation recorded as “common” outcomes. In the Academy’s collection one can at the Fitzgerald Marine find the best representation of California species Reserve, was not found of any organization. By strategically selecting lo- at all. cations to survey that are well represented in our • The blue-banded hermit historic collections, we can begin to understand crab (Pagurus samuelis), how biodiversity and species distributions, abun- an abundant central dances, and ranges have changed over time, while coast hermit crab, was Northern kelp crab, Pugettia producta also creating a current baseline for future com- not observed during parisons. We can use this information to inform the Pillar Point surveys management decisions designed to protect Cali- (other hermit crab spe- fornia’s unique biota. cies were found, though). The Pillar Point surveys were the first of • A number of species not their kind at that location; no species list spe- found on the Fitzgerald cific to the reef had been established. Working Marine Reserve list were off the species list that former ranger Bob Breen found at Pillar Point. had compiled during his time at the Fitzgerald The June Pillar Point Marine Reserve, the Academy created a checklist surveys were only the be- of select, relatively-easy-to-identify taxa to have ginning of establishing a volunteers look for at Pillar Point. Groups were Juvenile red rock crab, Cancer productus baseline of biodiversity on led by Academy staff, and species were docu- the reef. They also helped mented via georeferenced photographs. A small to inform the Academy’s citizen science pro- number of specimens were collected, mainly tube gram; we learned quite a bit about useful pro- feet from sea stars to build a genetic profile of the tocols, taxa that might be best to focus on for populations at Pillar Point, but also a few organ- future surveys, and areas of the reef that are isms that the biologists were unable to identify in unique in their microhabitats and thus in their the field. species composition. The Academy is planning During the 14 hours of the three survey to continue the surveys, hopefully quarterly, to days, 46 volunteers and seven Academy staff ex- document seasonal species and to build a base- plored the Pillar Point reef. Over 200 individual line for use in documenting change over time. organisms were documented, comprising around In the future the Academy would also like to 150 species. Numerous interesting observations conduct similar surveys at Fitzgerald Marine were made: Reserve to compare to Pillar Point. Looking ➤ 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 +5 0 -2 Oct www.fitzgeraldreserve.org • September 2012 3 Citizen Science from page 3 California Academy of Sciences at the adjacent protected vs. unprotected intertidal areas will help us better understand the impacts Group Leaders of human activities and of reef closures. We are Terry Gosliner – Dean of Science and also considering the possibilities for a photo- Research Collections based portion of the intertidal citizen science surveys that interested members of the public, Rebecca Johnson – Citizen Science youth groups, families, etc. could do on their own Research Coordinator during their visits to rocky intertidal areas, while Chrissy Piotrowski – Curatorial still providing valuable species Assistant, Invertebrate Zoology occurrence records to the Academy. Liz Kools – Curatorial Assistant, Thank you again to all Invertebrate Zoology of the wonderful volunteers Roberta Ayres – Naturalist Center who came out to be citizen sci- Manager of Programming entists with the Academy this past June—we couldn’t have Alison Young – Citizen Science done it without you! If you’re Educator interested in participating in future Academy intertidal sur- Nic West – Graduate Student Assistant, veys, send an email to citizen- Invertebrate Zoology Volunteers get a closer look [email protected]. u Map of species found 16 17 18 19 10 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 +5 0 -2 Oct -1.06 4 www.fitzgeraldreserve.org • September 2012 Creature Feature Tunicates: Our closest invertebrate relatives by Jessica Donald Tunicate larvae exhibit some of the same Appendiculaira or larvaceans are found features as chordates (that is to say animals with in the open ocean. Their clear gelatinous bodies a backbone, like us!), but most of these features resemble the form of a tadpole, but typically do are lost in transition to adulthood, with the ex- not get any bigger than 1 cm in length.
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