Sub-Tidal Monitoring in the OCNMS
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Assessment of the Subdal Assemblages Within the Olympic Coast Naonal Marine Sanctuary Reef Environmental Educaon Foundaon Christy Paengill‐Semmens and Janna Nichols Project Overview Results The Olympic Coast Naonal Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS) covers over 3,300 square 1.60 miles of ocean off Washington State's rocky Olympic Peninsula coastline and Table 2. Species that have been reported during 371 REEF surveys in the 1.40 OCNMS, conducted between 2003 and 2008. Sighting 1.20 Sanctuary waters host abundant marine life. The Reef Environmental Educaon Common Name Scientific Name Frequency 1.00 Foundaon (REEF) iniated an annual monitoring project in 2003 to document the Kelp Greenling Hexagrammos decagrammus 97% Fish-eating Anemone Urticina piscivora 93% 0.80 status and trends of sub‐dal fish assemblages and key invertebrates. Between 2003 Orange Cup Coral Balanophyllia elegans 92% Plumose Anemone Metridium senile/farcimen 91% 0.60 and 2008: Leather Star Dermasterias imbricata 91% Sunflower Star Pycnopodia helianthoides 91% Abundance Score 0.40 Black Rockfish Sebastes melanops 89% • 371 surveys have been conducted at 13 sites within the Sanctuary Gumboot Chiton Cryptochiton stelleri 66% 0.20 REEF Advanced Assessment Team Pink Hydrocoral Stylaster verrilli/S. venustus 66% • 70 species of fish and 28 species of invertebrates have been documented and members prepare for the OCNMS White-spotted Anemone Urticina lofotensis 65% 0.00 Longfin Sculpin Jordania zonope 63% Gumboot chiton are monitored monitoring. Orange Social Ascidian Metandrocarpa taylori/dura 62% frequently sighted in the 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Lingcod Ophiodon elongatus 59% Red Sea Urchin Strongylocentrotus franciscanus 57% OCNMS. Photo by Steve California Sea Cucumber Gumboot Chiton Giant Barnacle Balanus nubilus 57% Lonhart. Methods Leafy Hornmouth Ceratastoma foliatum 55% Red Sea Urchin Rock Scallop Striped Seaperch Embiotoca lateralis 55% ‐ Monitoring was conducted by Advanced Assessment Team REEF Experts Rock Scallop Crassedoma giganteum 55% 3.50 China Rockfish Sebastes neblosus 53% Juvenile (YOY) Rockfish Sp. 48% 3.00 ‐ Surveys were conducted as part of a 5‐day project held each August. California Sea Cucumber Parastichopus californicus 46% Yellow Margin Dorid Cadlina luteomarginata 43% 2.50 Red Irish Lord Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus 42% Scalyhead Sculpin Artedius harringtoni 40% 2.00 ‐ During each monitoring event, the team conducted an average of 62 Orange Sea Cucumber Cucumaria miniata 39% Quillback Rockfish Sebastes maliger 37% 1.50 Roving Diver Technique (RDT; Schmi and Sullivan 1996) surveys. White-lined Dirona Dirona albolineata 35% Fringed Tube Worm Dodecaceria fewkesi 30% 1.00 Cabezon Scorpaenichthys marmoratus 26% Abundance Score Oregon Triton Fusitriton oregonensis 25% 0.50 ‐The RDT is a non‐point survey method, divers move freely about a Coonstripe Shrimp Pandalus danae/P. gurneyi 24% Blue Rockfish Sebastes mystinus 22% 0.00 defined survey area. All posively idenfied fish species are recorded and Opalescent Nudibranch Hermissenda crassicornis 21% A Cabezon blending in. Yellowtail Rockfish Sebastes flavidus 20% Photo by Chris Grossman. 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 REEF Advanced Assessment an esmate of abundance is assigned: Single (1), Few (2‐10), Many Mosshead Warbonnet Chirolophis nugator 17% Spiny Pink Star Pisaster brevispinus 16% Cabezon Lingcod kelp Greenling Team member Doug Biffard (11‐100), and Abundant (> 100). 43 key invertebrates are also monitored. Lacy Bryozoan Phidolopora labiata 16% observes a Red Irish Lord in the Green Sea Urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis 15% Copper Rockfish Sebastes caurinus 13% 100% ONCMS. Photo by Pete Naylor. ‐ A weighted Abundance Score is calculated as Sighng Frequency (%) * Spinynose Sculpin Asemichthys taylori 11% Shiny Orange Sea Squirt Cnemidocarpa finmarkiensis 10% Density Score, where Density Score is: Manacled Sculpin Synchirus gilli 9% 80% Puget Sound Rockfish Sebastes emphaeus 9% [(nSx1)+(nFx2)+(nMx3)+(nAx4)] / (nS + nF + nM + nA), where n is the Canary Rockfish Sebastes pinniger 9% Giant Pacific Octopus Octopus dofleini 8% 60% number of mes each abundance category was assigned. Longfin Gunnel Pholis clemensi 7% Tiger Rockfish Sebastes nigrocinctus 6% 40% Buffalo Sculpin Enophrys bison 6% Northern Feather Duster Worm Eudistylia vancouveri 6% Wolf-Eel Anarrhichthys ocellatus 5% Tiger and China rockfish Sighng Frequency 20% Study Area and Survey Effort Northern Abalone Haliotis kamtschatkana 5% Grunt Sculpin Rhamphocottus richardsoni 5% hide in a crevice. Photo by 0% Table 1. REEF survey effort within the Olympic Coast NMS. Decorated Warbonnet Chirolophis decoratus 4% Rhoda Green. Orange Sea Pen Ptilosarcus gurneyi 4% 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Blackeye Goby Coryphopterus nicholsi 4% Northern Kelp Crab Pugettia producta 3% Black Rockfish Blue Rockfish Box Canyon 6 6 6 6 6 9 Kelp Surfperch Brachyistius frenatus 3% Vermilion Rockfish Sebastes miniatus 3% China Rockfish Quillback Rockfish Chibahdehl Rocks 6 7 6 6 6 8 Whitespotted Greenling Hexagrammos stelleri 2% Lewis's Moonsnail Euspira lewisii 2% Janna's Joy 0 5 6 6 6 8 Painted Greenling Oxylebius pictus 2% Rosylip Sculpin Ascelichthys rhodorus 2% Figure 2. Trends of key fish and invertebrate species based on koitlah Point 6 6 6 6 6 8 Tube-Snout Aulorhynchus flavidus 2% Smoothhead Sculpin Artedius fenestralis 2% data collected during REEF’s annual monitoring within the kydikabbit Point 0 6 0 0 0 0 Sharpnose Sculpin Clinocottus acuticeps 2% OCNMS. Survey effort and locaons are shown in Table 1. Sea Blubber Cyanea capillata 1% Mushroom Rock 7 6 6 6 5 8 Brown Irish Lord Hemilepidotus spinosus 1% Strawberry Anemone Corynactis californica 1% Puffin Point 6 0 0 0 0 0 Red Rock Crab Cancer productus 1% Crescent Gunnel Pholis laeta 1% Skagway Rocks 7 0 6 0 6 8 Speckled Sanddab Citharicthys stigmaeus 1% Acknowledgements Slant Rock 7 6 6 6 6 8 C-O Sole Pleuronichthys coenosus 1% REEF greatly appreciates the financial and logiscal support provided by the Yelloweye Rockfish Sebastes ruberrimus 1% OCNMS, the Naonal Marine Sanctuary Program, The Russell Family Foundaon, Sailfin Sculpin Nautichthys oculofasciatus 1% Figure 1. Map showing locaons where Tatoosh Island East 0 3 5 6 6 0 Widow Rockfish Sebastes entomelas 1% the Sustainable Path Foundaon and the Washington Scuba Alliance. A big thank Shiner Surfperch Cymatogaster aggregata 1% you is extended to the dozens of volunteers who parcipated in the monitoring REEF surveys have been conducted Tatoosh Island So. 4 0 6 6 6 0 Lobefin Snailfish Liparis greeni 1% between 2003‐2008 as part of an Warm House Beach 7 6 6 6 6 8 Padded Sculpin Artedius fenestralis 1% events and to the dive operators who provided field support. Guidance and Striped Kelpfish Gibbonsia metzi 1% support from Ed Bowlby and Carol Bernthal are also appreciated. annual monitoring project. Third Beach 6 12 0 0 0 9 Moon Jelly Aurelia aurita/labiata 1% Dusky Rockfish Sebastes ciliatus 1% Christy Paengill‐Semmens, REEF Director of Science – [email protected] TOTAL 62 63 59 54 59 74 Pile Perch Rhacochilus vacca 1% Pacific Sandlance Ammodytes hexapterus 1% Janna Nichols, REEF Instructor ‐‐ [email protected] Why Use Volunteers? Effecve management of coastal marine ecosystems requires informaon on The Reef Environmental Educaon Foundaon (REEF) Volunteer Survey Project is a Volunteer Survey Project volunteer divers use the Roving Diver the distribuons, abundances and trends of organisms. However, field program that enables volunteer divers and snorkelers to collect fish sighng Technique (RDT; Schmi & Sullivan 1996). sciensts are oen too few and too lile funding is available for large‐scale informaon during recreaonal dives. The project started in 1993 in Florida and has • Swim freely around dive site, dive mes vary data collecon programs. Volunteer data collecon, or cizen science, expanded to include all coastal areas of North and Central America, the Caribbean and according to depth and condions provides a valuable alternave for sciensts and resource agencies needing Hawaii. The Project provides a standardized survey method, data management • Record all species posively idenfied system, and Internet summary reporng. informaon but lacking sufficient resources to gather it. In addion, Access to the REEF Database • Esmate relave abundance for each species involvement leads to greater awareness by the public and creates a Single (S) ‐1 stewardship ethic among key user groups. Custom data summary Few (F) ‐ 2‐10 reports can be generated REEF volunteers confer Many (M) ‐ 11‐100 through the REEF Website about sighngs aer a Abundant (A) ‐ >100 dive. (www.REEF.org). • At the conclusion of each dive, the species Detailed Raw data files can data, survey me, depth, temperature and other be provided upon request. environmental informaon are transferred to REEF via online data entry (paper scanforms also The REEF Database available). • Quality control programs are run prior to A volunteer conducng a topped 120,000 REEF Survey. Photo by Pete surveys in 2008. entry into REEF’s database. Naylor. .