Fall and Winter Forage Fish Sampling

Dates

Comox Valley: October 25 – Surf Smelt Day, November 3, 13, 24, December 7, 8, 12

Blitz: December 9 – 13

Campbell River: November 2, 12, 27, December 4, 16

Blitz: November 28 & December 4

Please note: the schedule is subject to change according to tides and weather. 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, Goose Spit and Kye Bay (Surf Smelt Day only)

*Note: sampling locations subject to change this winter

Description

Volunteers will participate in community science by sampling beaches for beach spawning forage fish. We then process the sample down from a 4L container to an approximate 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. 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. This work is supported by funds from the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF).

We made a map showing sampling locations from previous seasons and where we found eggs. You can check it out here!

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