Technician Report – Tuesday, November 2nd
Vortexing ~ By Z. Cilliers
Beach Transect ~ By J. Lund
Beach Slope Measurements ~ By J. Lund
Vortexing ~ By J. Lund
Forage fish are an essential prey item in the Pacific Ocean food chain. This group is made up of species such as herring, surf smelt, and Pacific sand lance. Forage fish provide nutrients for salmon species, which in turn support the diets of charismatic ocean mammals like Orcas and sea lions.
Measuring the presence and abundance of forage fish is useful for restoring and protecting habitat that can sustain salmon populations. Surf smelt (SS) and Pacific sand lance (PSL) are beach spawners, meaning they lay their eggs in sediment with a specific size and coarseness. Project Watershed’s Forage Fish Project tests beach sediment for SS and PSL eDNA (environmental DNA) and eggs. This information is used to map forage fish habitat for protection and restoration.
The technician team met Virginia at the beach site and set up two intersecting transects, one down a length of the beach and the other from the water’s edge to the road. Air and water temperatures were taken, weather and tide height were observed, and the date was recorded. Samples of sediment were randomly taken along the lengthwise transect, labelled, and bagged for eDNA lab testing. A sight was then used to measure the slope of the beach every ten meters down the cross transect.
Random samples were also taken along the lengthwise transect for egg detection. This sample was brought back to the lab. The potential eggs were separated by sieving, vortexing (a reverse gold panning method), and viewed under the microscope. This particular group of samples did not contain SS or PSL eggs.
With the help of the Healthy Watersheds Initiative funding Project Watershed has hired environmental technicians to assist with our projects over the summer and early fall. The Healthy Watersheds Initiative is delivered by the Real Estate Foundation of BC and Watersheds BC, with financial support from the Province of British Columbia as part of its $10-billion COVID-19 response. Jamie Lund, one of these technicians, will be posting a brief report every Tuesday to update the Project Watershed community on what they have been up to.
Related Posts
Eelgrass Transplant Tying at Ships Point
We’re looking for volunteers to help prepare eelgrass shoots for transplant as part of our upcoming restoration work near Ships Point.
Spring and Summer Forage Fish Sampling
Spring and summer forage fish sampling is starting back up again in May!
Forage Fish Symposium and CFFN AGM
The Coastal Forage Fish Network is hosting their Annual Spring symposium via zoom on April 23, 2025, from 6:00-8:00 pm. It will be followed by an AGM. This gathering brings together researchers, experts and community science volunteers to share forage fish research highlights and from across Vancouver Island and beyond.
Kus-kus-sum Feature – Spring 2025
As spring kicks off, the first buds are beginning to appear on the newly installed plants down at Kus-kus-sum! Thanks to the efforts of our volunteers this past fall and winter we’ve been able to expand the now thriving tidal marsh and riparian ecosystems to 80% complete.
Spring Invasives Removal at Kus-kus-sum
We are looking for volunteers to assist us with our first weeding event of the spring at Kus-kus-sum to keep the invasives at bay and help our native plants flourish!
How To Report Herring Spawn Sightings on iNaturalist
Want to contribute to community science while walking the beach? Simply snap a photo of Pacific herring eggs or milt (milky-white water) when you come across them and upload your observations to iNaturalist! Keep reading for instructions.