Forage Fish Sampling – Spring/Summer 2024
Forage Fish Egg Sieving ~ V. East
Map of Location
Location
Oyster Bay Shoreline Park
Location
Frank James Park
Location
Goose Spit
Location
Air Force Beach
Dates
Comox Valley: May 4 (full), June 5, July 8, August 2, September 4
Campbell River: May 2, June 10, July 6, August 7, September 6
The time varies with tides – Virginia will email participants with time closer to date
Locations
Campbell River (Oyster Bay Shoreline Park and Frank James Park) Comox Valley (Air Force Beach and Goose Spit)
Description
Volunteers will be participating in citizen science by sampling beaches for summer beach spawning forage fish. We then process the sample down from a 4L container to an approximately 500mL container using a gold panning process referred to as sieving and vortexing.
These smaller samples are investigated under a microscope to look for the eggs of surf smelt (summer) and Pacific sand lance and surf smelt (winter). Project Watershed is part of the Coastal Forage Fish Network (CFFN). This network is engaged in citizen science, research and advocacy across Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, and along the beaches of Vancouver. Project Watershed has been involved with this project since the fall of 2019 and we have discovered some important beaches for beach spawning forage fish.
We made a map showing sampling locations from the previous season and where we found eggs. You can check it out here!