Tag Archive: northern vancouver island


Super Mom! Up to 300 young under her care.

Filed under: Anemones — 3 Comments
May 11, 2013

This is a brooding anemone (Epiactis lisbethae).

She may not have a backbone but she’s a Super Mom!

As many as 300 young can be clustered around her in up to 5 rows, benefitting from the protective canopy of her tentacles which contain stinging cells (nematocysts). The offspring  remain here until big enough to stand a good chance of surviving on their own. They then crawl toward independence, claiming their own piece of the ocean bottom. 

Brooding anemone 1

Brooding anemone with young (Epiactis lisbethae). © 2013 Jackie Hildering. Click to enlarge.

I am awestruck by this species’ beauty and reproductive strategy. It is also a reminder of how little we know about marine species that the brooding anemone was not recognized as a distinct species until fairly recently, and it still so often getting confused with the proliferating anemone (Epiactis prolifera).

I share my marine “detectiving” about this species with you to provide a further example of how extraordinary our marine neighbours are and maybe, thereby, help inspire greater conservation efforts. 

But yes, the timing of the blog is no accident. It may be that reflection upon an anemone Super Mom stimulates thought about our human mothers – just in time for Mother’s Day.

So here goes . . . bear with me as I build to clarifying the reproduction of our featured species. 

© 2013 Jackie Hildering one time use only-4240156

Anemones have many reproductive strategies.

For many species, reproduction can be asexual as well as sexual with strategies like budding off offspring; splitting into two; or pedal laceration where a torn piece of the bottom of the anemone can grow into another anemone!

Some species are hermaphrodites with highly diverse ways by which offspring develop into adults.

In species that have separate sexes, many are broadcast spawners where Mom and Dad release their eggs and sperm into the ocean around them. Fertilization and development thereby happens in the water column.

Then, for only some 20 species of the world’s more than 800 kinds of anemone, there are the species in which the female captures the males’ sex cells as they drift by and draws them into her digestive cavity to fertilize her eggs. She “broods’ her young.

Some such anemone species are internal brooders.  The young develop inside Mom until they hatch and are expelled into the water column as planktonic larvae. 

But then there’s Super Mom – the brooding anemone (Epiactis lisbethae). She’s an external brooder.

After she has fertilized the eggs inside her digestive cavity with the sperm she has captured, the young develop inside her until they hatch into planktonic larvae. THEN, they swim out of her mouth, settle on her body under the tentacles and grow into little anemones that feed themselves. 

When the offspring are big enough to stand a good chance of survival without the protection of Mom’s tentacles, they shuffle away to independence, leaving space for next season’s young.

The brooding anemone’s young are all of the same generation and are therefore all about the same size.

However, there is a second externally brooding anemone species in the eastern North Pacific where you most often see young of different sizes huddled under Mom’s tentacles. This species – the proliferating anemone (Epiactis prolifera) is the one that very, very frequently gets confused with the brooding anemone.

Proliferating anemone.

Proliferating anemone with young (Epiactis prolifera). Often confused with the brooding anemone (Epiactis lisbethae). © 2007 Jackie Hildering. Click to enlarge.

I have strived to clarify the many differences between these two externally brooding anemone species in the table below but to summarize: the proliferating anemone is smaller and does not have striping all the way down the column; adults are hermaphrodites; breeding happens year round; there are far fewer young clustered under mom’s tentacles; and they start off there as fertilized eggs, not as free-swimming larva.

The main similarity between these two species is and yes, I am going to use a tongue twister here since I believe it is inevitable when discussing anemones – with anemone mothers like these, baby anemones are protected from their anemone enemies.

Now off you go, share some ocean love with a Super Mom!  

There are so many human females out there worthy of awe. Where, were we to consider how many young they have shielded and helped to independence, the number might well be 300 or more! 

brooding vs. proliferating table

Click to enlarge. Table summarizing the differences between brooding and proliferating anemones.

Sources: 

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Epic Egg Hunt Mystery Solved at Last! Gold Dirona and Alabaster Nudibranch Egg Masses.

Filed under: Sea slugs / Nudibranchs — 7 Comments
March 29, 2013

This week, an egg hunt mystery FINALLY came to an end for me, coincidentally, just before Easter when many of you will be involved in egg hunts too.

I dare say however that my hunt involved vastly more beautiful eggs; that the hunt was much more challenging and –  ultimately, much more rewarding!

One of my very, very favourite things to do, satisfying my “The Marine Detective” nature, is to solve the ultimate “whodunit” and match sea slug species with their egg masses.

Every sea slug species’ egg mass is distinct, comprising a fascinating diversity of intoxicatingly beautiful shapes and patterns.

It delights me (for reasons I can’t fully explain) that for many sea slugs in the northeast Pacific Ocean, I am able to see an egg mass and immediately know which species laid it.

Often it has been easy to figure out due to clues like sea slugs often laying eggs on their food or . . . having the good fortune to find a sea slug in the act of laying their eggs.

But for YEARS, I have been unable to differentiate the egg masses of two of the most beautiful sea slug species in these waters – the gold dirona (Dirona pellucida to 12 cm) and the alabaster nudibranch (Dirona albolineata to 18 cm aka “white-lined dirona” or “frosted nudibranch”).

You’ll note that they are very closely related (same genus) and it thereby stands to reason that their egg masses would look very similar. Both also often lay their eggs on the same species of Agarum kelp and in all these years I have often found both species mating, but  have never found either species laying their eggs.

But then, this week . . . just when I was noting the abundance of both species, how many egg masses there were and wishing, WISHING, I could find just one of them laying eggs – my dear dive buddy Jacqui Engel waved me over and pointed out a gold dirona laying eggs.

Gold dirona laying eggs.

Click to enlarge. Gold dirona laying eggs (Dirona pellucida to 12 cm).
©2013 Jackie Hildering

I was so jubilant, I screamed underwater (yes, I am The Marine Detective for a reason, such things really do delight me to this degree). Finally!  Mystery solved, I would be able to differentiate the eggs of the two species.

But then, Nature was even kinder to me.

On the very same day on the very same dive, after so many years, I also stumbled across an alabaster nudibranch laying eggs!

Alabaster nudibranch laying eggs.

Click to enlarge. Two alabaster nudibranchs. One on right laying eggs (Dirona albolineata to 14 cm).
©2013 Jackie Hildering;

Disbelief! Joy! Manic photo-taking!

I think you may marvel at how very similar the masses are but the difference, at least to me is clear.

The “pieces” of the gold dirona’s egg mass are more compact and more like rice kernels.

Gold dirona laying eggs.

Close-up. Click to enlarge. Gold dirona laying eggs (Dirona pellucida to 12 cm).
©2013 Jackie Hildering

The segments of the albaster nuidbranch’s egg masses are more scallop-edged and diffuse.

Alabaster nudibranch laying eggs.

Close-up. Click to enlarge. Alabaster nudibranch laying eggs (Dirona albolineata to 14 cm).
©2013 Jackie Hildering;

If you have read to this point – thank you!

Likely we are kindred in our love of marine biodiversity and the beauty that is sea slugs.

For as much as I love chocolate Easter eggs, I would forego them for the rest of my existence if it would allow my appetite for marine mysteries to be further satisfied!

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Wolf-Eel – No Ugly Fish!

Filed under: Fish — 8 Comments
February 17, 2013
Mr. and Mrs. Wolf Eel on February 16, 2013 near Port Hardy. © 2013 Jackie Hildering

Mr. and Mrs. Wolf-Eel on February 16, 2013 near Port Hardy. © 2013 Jackie Hildering

Don’t say it, please don’t say it.

This is not an ugly fish.

It hurts when people say this about wolf-eels. Such is the way when there is misunderstanding and disrespect for something you love.

There is no ugly in Nature – only perfection.

If the features of an animal appear foreign to you, it is because it fulfils a role in Nature that is truly awe-inspiring; possibly even beyond your imaginings.

Mature male wolf-eel - about 2.2 m long. © 2008 Jackie Hildering

Mature male wolf-eel – about 2 m long. Can be 2.4 m.
© 2008 Jackie Hildering

I hope to make this point by sharing with you why the wolf-eel is “designed” as it is and how very wrong many of us are in our perceptions about this species.

The wolf-eel (Anarrhichythys ocellatus), which can be as long as 2.4 m, is not an eel. It is clearly also not a wolf. It is desperately misunderstood.

It is not dangerous nor “mean”. The opposite is true. They are reclusive, anything but ferocious, quite sedentary and slow moving.

The upper jaw of a wolf-eel. Impenetrable to even urchin spines! © 2005 Jackie Hildering

The upper jaw of a wolf-eel. Impenetrable to even urchin spines! © 2005 Jackie Hildering

Yes, the mature males have very large, fleshy, ossified heads and the species has sharp teeth but this is so they can do what so few marine species can – they can feed on spiny sea urchins, snapping them effortlessly into pieces without suffering a single puncture. They also feed on other hard-shelled animals like shellfish and crabs.

Even the roofs of wolf-eels’ mouths are impenetrable with ossified, tooth-like projections.

Each wolf-eel has distinct spots around their eyes which helps recognize them as individuals. © 2012 Jackie Hildering

Each wolf-eel has distinct spots around their eyes which helps recognize them as individuals. © 2012 Jackie Hildering

To my knowledge there has never been an attack on a diver UNLESS, and here comes the predictable thing, we choose to habituate them.

Wolf-eels spend a great deal of time on the ocean bottom in dens where, as divers, we have the enormous privilege of  ”visiting” the same spot and seeing the same individuals for years. It is not just their address that makes them recognizable as individuals. Each wolf-eel has a unique pattern of black spots near their eyes.

Mature male bearing the scars of battle. © 2011 Gord Jenkins.

Mature male bearing the scars of battle. © 2011 Gord Jenkins.

Some divers choose to feed them, leading to the wolf-eels associating us with food and that’s where accidents can happen and where the wild behaviour that lets animals survive, becomes compromised.

It also makes them tragically easy targets for any spear diver wanting to poach them. There is no legal fishery for this species but there is a demand for them in the Asian market which is why there are also attempts to farm wolf-fish i.e. aquaculture.

Not surprisingly, wolf-eels might also be defensive when accidentally caught by anglers. I found one account from 1959 where a commercial fisherman was bitten and “The teeth penetrated the hip-waders and broke the skin on both sides of the ankle.”

Juvenile wolf eel. © 2010 Jackie Hildering-

Juvenile wolf-eel. © 2010 Jackie Hildering-

The mature males do carry battle wounds supporting that they don’t just hang out in dens waiting for a snack to come by, but rather that they will occasionally duke it out with other male wolf-eels.  They do also sometimes need to do battle for den space with a giant Pacific octopus.  This is likely another driver for the male’s having such fleshy heads – they are better able to survive the wounds inflicted by such battles.

Another unique feature about this species is their eel-like body. They are the only member of their family that have this body shape. The long tail serves in locomotion, powering them forward with big, slow, s-shaped waves while being stabilized with the long dorsal and pectoral fins (see video below). Having a long tail also allows them to den-up, curling up and around in narrow spaces between rocks and . . . wait for it . . . it lets them hold onto their eggs.

Mr and Mrs Wolf-Eel tending their egg mass © 2005 Jackie Hildering-

Mated pair tending their egg mass. Note how much darker and smaller the female is. © 2005 Jackie Hildering-

Wolf-eels have long-lasting pair bonds, coming together when they are around 4 years old and having their first clutch when they are around 7. In aquariums, their life expectancy is known to be at least 28 years.

Both male and female juveniles are brownish orange and look even more eel-like, lacking the big head of the adults. As adults, the females are smaller and a darker brownish grey (both remarkably camouflaged for when they are in their rocky dens).

Grandpa Wolf-Eel on February 16, 2013 near Port Hardy. © 2013 Jackie Hildering

Grandpa Wolf-Eel on February 16, 2013 near Port Hardy. © 2013 Jackie Hildering

Mating apparently most often occurs between October and December, with the female releasing eggs after the male prods against her swollen abdomen. He then wraps around her to fertilize the 10,000 or more white to yellow eggs that she will mould into a ball shape. This mass does not need to adhere to anything because the parents will take turns wrapping their tails around the mass, holding and turning it for good aeration until the +/- 3.5 cm young hatch some 3 months after fertilization.

Statler the Muppet is cute and loveable. Ergo - so are wolf-eels. Case closed!!

Statler the Muppet is cute and loveable. Ergo – so are wolf-eels. Case closed!!

The juveniles do not settle into the adult sedentary lifestyle until around age 2. One juvenile is even known to have travelled a minimum of 1,000 km; having been tagged in Port Hardy, BC and found back in Willapa Bay, Washington two years later.

It was long thought that wolf-eels always mate for life but, this is not always the case. The males do compete for females who will sometimes opt to swap dens and go live with the competitor. Sound like any other species you know? Wonder if it happens at mid-life?

The wolf-eel is indeed akin to us in so many ways. It is a homebody that likes crunchy snacks and prefers that they come right by the front door; they are great parents and are docile unless fighting for home or partner. They invest in durable relationships and – they are only as strange looking as we terrestrial bipeds would appear to them.

Range: Sub-tidal to 226 m; Baja California (Mexico) to the Aleutian Islands (Alaska); west to Russia and south to the Sea of Japan.

Mr. and Mrs. Wolf Eel on February 16, 2013 near Port Hardy. © 2013 Jackie Hildering

Mr. and Mrs. Wolf-Eel on February 16, 2013 near Port Hardy. © 2013 Jackie Hildering

Me and a mature male wolf eel.

Me and a mature male wolf-eel. © 2012 Norris Colby.

Mature male wolf-eel. © 2007 Jackie Hildering

Mature male wolf-eel. © 2007 Jackie Hildering

Mature male wolf-eel. © 2007 Jackie Hildering

Mature male wolf-eel. © 2007 Jackie Hildering

For these and more images of the wolf-eel, please see my gallery at this link. 

Sources:

Lamb, Andy and Edgell, Phil. Coastal Fishers of the Pacific Northwest - Second Edition.

Love, Milton; Certainly More Than You Want to Know About the Fishes of the Pacific Coast – A Postmodern Experience; pp 467-468

Pers. communication Dr. Jeff Marliave, Vice President, Marine Science, Vancouver Aquarium.

http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/eco/taxalab/zaheerk.htm

http://www.nwdiveclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=890

http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Anarrhichthys-ocellatus.html

http://scrippsblogs.ucsd.edu/onboard/2011/03/24/wolf-eel-eggs-are-hatching/

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Every Breath You Take . . . .

Filed under: Algae/seaweed — 5 Comments
February 5, 2013
XX

© Jackie Hildering

Er – sorry about that. Thanks to the blog title, you likely now have The Police’s stalker-ish lyrics playing annoyingly in your head.

Let me take the Sting out of that for you.

The only lines of the song that apply to this blog item are: ”Every breath you take” and “Every move you make” because  . . . this blog is about marine algae.

giant kelp DSC06372

Fronds of kelp © Jackie Hildering

Yes, that’s right – marine algae; the plant-like material of our oceans that ranges in size from the phytoplankton that give the NE Pacific its emerald colour and soupy richness, to the giant kelp species that provide habitat as ocean forests.

Breathe in.  A conservative 70% of the life-sustaining oxygen in that breath came from marine algae.  

These organisms are also attempting to scrub away the devastating impacts of our fossil fuel addiction, photosynthesizing carbon dioxide into oxygen and serving as carbon sinks.

Bull Kelp Forest

One of the images that started it all. © Jackie Hildering

Life on earth simply could not survive without marine algae and this conclusion is valid even without considering their role as the basis of ocean food webs (and recognize that an estimated 50% of all species on earth are marine).  

Why then, while we seem to have some understanding of how dependent we are on the terrestrial plants living up here with us, do so many of us appear to be ignorant of the vital importance of the marine algae that inhabit 71% of the earth’s surface?

Bull kelp forest in current © Jackie Hildering

Bull kelp forest in current © Jackie Hildering

Why are we seemingly not as driven to save marine algae from the impacts of pollution as we are to stop deforestation? Is it that damn illusion that land is separate from sea?

Or, somewhere deep within or briny beings, do we feel a connection?

I have experience that suggests this might be the case.

It’s an accidental discovery . . . I never really planned to become an underwater photographer. Having the great privilege of living in this beautiful place, initially I focused largely (quite literally) on photographing big marine mammals. I was using charismatic megafauna to try to inspire conservation.

© Jackie Hildering

© Jackie Hildering

But then  . . . I was gifted an underwater camera and quite early on, I started photographing kelp. 

For me, kelp is the entry point into the marine world into which I love to disappear and its beauty has long intoxicated me. In fact, I have a kelp forest tattooed on my lower left leg!

But never, ever could I have anticipated the way the images would be received by non-divers. They have proven to be vital tools in “taking” people underwater with me and I believe no whale image I have taken has done as much to engage, create wonder, appreciation and, hopefully, respect for what lies below the surface.

© 2012 Jackie Hildering-5121314

Sun streaming through bull kelp forest © Jackie Hildering

Why are these images received as they are?  Many answers are possible from a pure aesthetic appreciation of kelp’s form and colour to the fact that kelp forests are literally at the surface, recognizable but submerged in mystery. 

But, maybe, just maybe there’s a deep connection born out of knowing that we are dependent on marine algae for every breath we take.

And that – gives me hope.

Click here  for my gallery of marine algae images. 

Note: Seaweeds, kelp and phytoplankton photosynthesize but are (most often) not classified as plants. They are algae. For an explanation of the classification, distinction and scientific debate, see:  “The Seaweed Site – “What are algae?” 

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What’s At Stake – Images Speaking Louder Than Words

Filed under: Biodiversity (Dive With Me), Environmental Issues — Leave a comment
January 5, 2013

Three minutes of images speaking louder than words . . .

This short slide show of my images testifies to the astonishing marine biodiversity of Northern Vancouver Island and what is put at risk with projects like the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project which would bring super-tanker traffic of toxic bitumen and condensate to B.C.’s fragile coast, and to the waters on which we depend for oxygen, food, buffering of climate change gases, aesthetics and so much more.

I have submitted this slide show for inclusion on “Hope, the Whale”, a 25′ whale sculpture being brought to the Vancouver Enbridge public hearings (January 14 to 18, 2013) “to symbolize the expansive and growing community of people with a vision of an oil-free coast in BC. The sculpture is designed to be a welcoming, collaborative, visual, interactive and peaceful approach to supporting a healthy environment. The whale will amplify our a collective messages of hope and a vision for a healthy ocean, water, land, communities, green economy, cultures and people.” See this link to contribute your message.

For more information, see my testimony to the Joint Review Panel included in my blog item “Super Natural or Super Tanker?” at this link.

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Success! No Tidal Turbines in Whale Epicentre

Filed under: Environmental Issues — 13 Comments
November 18, 2012

“KC” breaches in Blackney Pass. Photo: Hildering

As follow-up to last week’s call to action, “Tidal Turbines in Whale Epicentre? Hell No!” , I am so pleased to relay the following media release from myself, the OrcaLab and the proponent, SRM Projects Ltd. 

The short of it is, due to the efforts of many (including you) and the integrity and ethics of the proponent – the application for an investigative license for ocean power in whale critical habitat has been withdrawn. 

Please read further below.

 Media Coverage:

For details of how this resolve was achieved see this OrcaLab blog item. 

Humpback whale “KC” (BCY0291, born in 2002) breaching in Blackney Pass.
The investigative license application for ocean power has now been withdrawn for this area.
© 2012 Jackie Hildering; http://www.themarinedetective.ca

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Tidal Turbines in Whale Epicentre? Hell No!

Filed under: Environmental Issues — 42 Comments
November 10, 2012

[Updates: November 18, 2012 - the application for an investigative license for ocean power in whale critical habitat has been withdrawn. Please see the media release at this link.
November 14, 2012 - To our surprise, the deadline to provide comment regarding the land tenure has been extended, it is now also December 2nd.
November 13, 2012 - As testimony to how serious this is - international Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) has picked this up and put out an action alert.]


For a bundling of media items on this see the end of the blog.] 

There are times when expletives like “Hell No!” are justified and I am sure you will agree this is one of those very unfortunate times and – your action is needed.

Blackney Pass off Johnstone Strait is an epicentre of whale activity and there is an application for an “Investigative License of Occupation – Ocean Power ” for this very area. Yep, that’s right . . . an application for “actual installment of technical investigative and monitoring equipment” that could lead to turbines being in critical whale habitat. The proponent is SRM Projects Ltd of Nanaimo, B.C.

While I of course support initiatives to reduce the use of climate-changing fossil fuels, to have turbines in critical whale habitat would be pure, simple, total, utter insanity. No matter how advanced the turbine technology, no amount of mitigation could compensate for the noise, prey reduction, and other disturbance to the whales.

The deadline for your two quick submissions is December 2nd. Below, I have strived to make commenting very expeditious for you, but first, a bit more on how preposterous the application is, just to fuel you up for those comments. 

Here is the map showing the area for the “license of occupation“.

Source: Application for OCEAN ENERGY/INVESTIGATIVE AND MONITORING by SRM Projects Ltd of Nanaimo, B.C.  Click image to enlarge.

Here is the map showing the application site relative to the critical habitat map for northern resident killer whales from the Final Amended Recovery Strategy for Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales in Canada. [Why was it amended you might ask? Because the federal government had to be taken to court TWICE to enforce their legal obligation to protect killer whale habitat - first ruling December 7, 2010; appeal ruling February 9th, 2011.]

Proposed site (red) relative to acknowledged northern resident killer whale critical habitat (cross hatched area). Source Amended Recovery Strategy for Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales in Canada. Click image to enlarge.

The very ocean current that makes this area of interest for staking a claim for ocean energy is what makes this such a rich area for marine life. Multiple currents collide causing a merry-go-round in which plankton and fish are concentrated. The threatened northern resident killer whales feed here with great regularity, as do members of the threatened population of humpback whales, Steller sea lions, Dall’s porpoise, etc.

The importance of this area for killer whales can be supported by almost 4 decades of data collected by Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the OrcaLab. More recently, with regard to the humpbacks, I and my fellow researchers from the Marine Education and Research Society, can testify to how often these giants are in this area.

But it is the whales that speak with the most convincing voices of all. Here is the OrcaLab’s September 16th, 2012 visual and acoustic recording of the I15 and A30 matrilines of northern resident killer whales in the very area “in question”.

For researchers, whale watchers and on-line followers of the OrcaLab’s monitoring of whales, we all know that this kind of activity is not exceptional in this area and we know what is at stake.

As final stark evidence of how often there are whales in this area, note where, of all the places the OrcaLab could have put their whale-monitoring cameras and hydrophones, they are positioned. Then again, note the location of the proposed ocean power project.

Proposed site (red) relative to positions of the OrcaLab, and their hydrophones and cameras. Testimony to just how often there are whales here. Click image to enlarge.


One would hope that government agencies would surely deny this application but  . . . we have so many recent examples of this being tragically misplaced faith and we cannot count on there being any legislation in place for sound environmental assessment that would confirm environmental impacts. May I point out again that the government had to be taken to court TWICE to be order to acknowledge and protect killer whale critical habitat?!

Therefore, we collectively need to make our “Hell No!” heard now.

Essential action needed by December 2nd – submission to two government agencies. 

  1. By December 2nd, regarding the land tenure,  click this link, go to the bottom of this Integrated Land Management Bureau page, and comment on the project. Sample text below in green. [Note that, to our surprise, this deadline changed on November 14th, the date that was the initial deadline for comment to this agency.]
  2. By December 2nd, regarding the license of occupation, click this link and email your comment to Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Operations. You could use the same text as you did for the above.

If you can, come to the Port McNeill “community information session” given by the proponent, SRM Projects Ltd of Nanaimo, on November 20th in Room 4 of the Old School from 6:30 to 7:45 PM. There will also be an information session in Campbell River on November 22nd but this will focus on SRM’s proposals for the Discovery Passage and Seymour Narrows. It will be in the Rivercorp Boardroom, 900 Alder Street from 7:00 to 8:30 PM.

  • Sample text for both of the above. “With regard to Land File Number 1412946, the application for SRM Project Ltd’s “Investigative License of Occupation – Ocean Power” in the Blackney Passage / Johnstone Strait area, I write you to express that this application must not be granted. This is scientifically confirmed critical habitat for northern resident killer whales and it has been legally ruled that this must be protected as per Canada’s Species at Risk Act. In addition, the area is of great importance to humpback whales and many other marine species. No matter how advanced the turbine technology, no amount of mitigation could compensate for the noise, prey reduction, and other disturbance to the whales.”  You may even want to reference this blog and provide the link e.g. “For further details of the reasons for my great objection to this application see the rationale and resources provided at http://wp.me/pPW6V-LE.”

With this application being so ludicrous, I can’t help but wonder if I am missing something. Is this just part of a staking frenzy or is it some sort of distractor so that attention is taken away from something else?

SRM LTD’s projects are listed here. Again, reductions to our voracious fossil fuel consumption are very much needed but, at the cost of having turbines in whale critical habitat? Unequivocally – no. 

So much insanity  . . . so little time.  Sigh.

Huge gratitude and respect to Angela Smith for being the one to take note of the notification of this application and to Leah Robinson for ensuring I had many of the details I needed for this blog.

Media items:

References:

This posting on my FaceBook page has had success in creating further awareness. Feel free to share! Whale on right is Tsitika (A30). She is 65 years old. She loves Chinook salmon and is always within calling range of her sons, daughters and grand-calves. Most often, as is the case here, she is right beside her eldest surviving son, Blackney (A38) who is 42. Tsitka has lived through the human impacts of being shot at when that was our way; our use of toxins that bioaccumulate in the flesh of her kind reducing their immunity and ability to reproduce; our practices that have reduced the availability of salmon and . . . the noise! The next assault – turbines in the very area where her family most often fishes? The same area that is the namesake of her son i.e. “Blackney Pass” and where this photo was taken? The area that is designated as critical habitat for her population?

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I, Mermaid. You Too?

Filed under: Reflections — 6 Comments
October 29, 2012

Northeast Pacific mermaid. Even underwater they are dedicated to marine conservation. Photo: Jacqui Engel.

So I don’t look much like the mermaids of folklore, but I am absolutely the real thing.

I, in fact, look more like a Steller sea lion when suited up in my dive gear (not that they are convinced).

This resemblance to sea lions may even soon be strengthened if the joys of menopause lead to my growing long, stiff facial hairs like their vibrissae. Hum, maybe that won’t be all bad since I will be able to sense vibrations in water from afar .  . . but back to the topic at hand.

Northeast Pacific mermaid displaying underwater euphoria. Photo: Jacqui Engel.

In having now painted anything but the image of a waifish, goddess-like denzin of the deep for you, I will likely need to provide some very strong evidence that I am indeed – a mermaid.

Not that I need you to believe me.

The important thing is for you to be able recognize if YOU are a mer-person too. In fact, a great deal is at stake if you don’t recognize it.

No doubt that you are infinitely thankful that I am here to help since there’s a lot of misinformation out there about we mer-people. You know – all that tail-like-a-fish, having no immortal soul, must marry a human stuff.

Mermaid 3

Note mermaid blissed-out expression even when only near the Ocean’s surface. Photo: Peter Jucker.

Reality is, we look pretty much like other people . . . most of the time.

However, if, for some terrible reason, we are removed from the sight and smell of the ocean for any significant period, this provides one of the two times when it is really easy to identify a mer-person.

The clues?  Agitation, a predilection to negativity, perpetual longing references to “Mother Ocean”, dry coughing, eating lots of salty chocolate, combative if blocked from getting back into or onto the Ocean and, indeed when in this state, we will deal out many a curse and could even drag someone underwater.

The only other time it is really easy to tell we are mer-people is when we have just returned from Mother Ocean. The contrast to our non-marine state is apparently extreme. We present as being deeply peaceful, patient, centered, highly eloquent, rational, and blissed-out.

Rare two-headed mermaid. Head on right = Jacqui Engel who may not be so happy with me after I post this photo.

The physiology behind this has been the subject of many scientific studies. The research shows that mer-people’s heart rate and blood pressure is reduced by 31.721% when in or on the Ocean and that the endorphin content of our blood also rises by 47.913% (give or take a thousandth of a percent). 

As a mermaid, I of course know how I feel when submerging into the Ocean or when I drift on her surface. It feels like escaping from the insanity of terrestrial human life for a while; living raptly in the moment; and returning to quiet, extreme beauty, and sensibility.

Extraordinarily rare 3-headed mermaid. Head on left = Terina Hancock. Head in middle = Natasha Dickinson. Here too there may be some issues with the other heads not being so happy with me. Photo: Jacqui Engel.

It was a surprise to me though how quickly those around me understood my mermaid needs. Many is the time I have been told “Jackie, you need to go diving” or “Jackie, I think you need to go study humpback whales today”.  Conversely, I will get to hear “You seem better today. Did you go diving?”

Why, after having gone diving, I apparently even have a much better sense of humour and a tendency to engage in a bit of self-mockery. Hum, I wonder if this might be apparent here since I did go diving yesterday?

Can you believe it?! Another 3-headed mermaid! Head on left = Jacqui Engel. Head in centre = Natasha Dickinson. Photo by mermaid with very long arms.

Does any of this sound like it applies to you? Ask those around you to confirm if you manifest the signs.  Look around your home. Do you see many marine symbols and/or artifacts? 

I suspect that there are many fellow mer-people here in the demographic of the “The Marine Detective” community.

Speaking from my own experience, it is very important that your mer-personness gets diagnosed as soon as possible.

It’s not only for your own good and the sanity of the humans around you. It’s for the health of our Ocean.

As mer-people, we above all others know the essential soul-calming, life-giving, inspiration-inducing, positive and essential source that is Mother Ocean.

While on land, make it count! Be the walking protectors for all that is dependent upon the sea.

Speak for our marine brethren who cannot speak for themselves!

Mer-people unite!

 

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Grunt – So Happy to See You!

Filed under: Fish, Sculpins — 5 Comments
October 21, 2012

Grunt sculpin. Tiny fish. Giant attitude. ESPECIALLY the females. Photo: Hildering.

Meet the fish that so often has people exclaiming “It lives HERE?!”

Yep, the tiny grunt sculpin is a powerful ambassador for raising awareness about the depth of biodiversity hidden in the cold, dark, rich waters of the north east Pacific. 

We are programmed to associate warm waters with exotic-looking fish species but how’s this for being astoundingly adapted and mastering mimicry?:

  • Adapted to look like a giant barnacle! Huge thanks to dive buddy Natasha Dickinson for finding this one. Photo: Hildering.

    The species reaches only a maximum of 9 cm.

  • It is adapted to look like a giant barnacle (Balanus nubilis)!  When facing outward, its pointy nose looks like a closed giant barnacle and when the fish turns around, its tail looks like the foot of the barnacle that rakes in plankton.
  • This little fish has giant attitude. When not hidden away in a barnacle (or a cup, see photo), it can be highly territorial, hopping around on its pectoral fins in a strutting, jerky fashion. A lot of literature reports that the grunt sculpin is an “awkward swimmer” but I solidly disagree.

    If you can’t find an empty barnacle shell. A cup will apparently do! Photo: Hildering

    I once saw one flash away with lightning speed back to its hiding place. Yes, I was being an annoying photographer.

  • Ah and you probably think the males are the master strutters? Ha! The female is as fierce as can be. She will aggressively chase a male into a crack, an empty barnacle shell, or other place of no escape and guard him there until she is ready to lay her eggs. When she has laid them, the male is released to do his duty.

    Very young grunt sculpin. The red-gilled nudibranch in the upper part of the image is only about 2 cm long. Another great find by dive buddy Natasha Dickinson. Photo: Hildering.

    She watches him to ensure he fertilizes the eggs (up to 150 at a time) and then – she saunters off. Apparently she may return once in a while to take on a shift. For many members of the sculpin family, the males are the sole egg guarders.

    But wait, it gets even more remarkable, when the eggs are near hatching, the guarding grunt sculpin takes them into their mouth and spits them out into the open water. This causes the eggs to hatch and the little zooplankton are sent on their way. (Source: Aquarium of the Pacific).

  • The grunt sculpin’s pointy “bill-like” head is reflected in the species’ scientific name. Photo: Hildering

    With regards to classification, the scientific name Rhamphocottus richardsonii reflects the Greek “rhamphos” for the grunt sculpin’s bill-like snout. This makes some people think that the species looks like a seahorse but note that they are not closely related at all. The grunt sculpin is the only member of its genus. It is truly one of a kind.

  • Oh, and the name “grunt” sculpin? Apparently the species grunts when it is taken out of the ocean. You would too! Likely it also grunts when being defensive underwater. It is also the sound I make in my delight when I find one. It will be a very loud grunt indeed if I ever find one guarding eggs or with its tail-end extended out of a barnacle.

Grunt sculpin in a empty barnacle shell. Photo: Hildering

Another very fortunate find of a grunt sculpin in a empty barnacle shell. Photo: Hildering

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Gumboot Chitons Spawning!

Filed under: Chitons — Leave a comment
September 30, 2012
Colouring sheet for gumboot chtion

Click to enlarge.
Source: http://www.navajovalues.com/GumbootChiton/

I finally have the opportunity to share this 2-minute video with you from May 20th, 2012.

“Chitons” are marine molluscs (soft bodied animals) that, rather than having one of more shells to protect themselves, they have 8 armoured plates surrounded by a thick band of muscle. This allows them to suction onto surfaces very effectively since the 8-plates give such flexibility that they can even get a good grip on surfaces that are not flat.

There are many members of the the chiton class but the gumboot chiton (Cryptochiton steller; aka giant Pacific chiton) is very unique in its appearance.

It’s another “the biggest of its kind in the world” that inhabits the cold, rich waters of the north east Pacific. It can be 33 cm long and about 2 kg. They are very slow growing and very long lived! This source reports that chitons that are 15 cm long are likely 20 years old and that they may live to be more than 25.  That’s one old gumboot!

The gumboot chiton is also the only chiton species that has flesh completely covering the 8 plates. The texture and colour of this “girdle” offers them great camouflage and is where the “gumboot” descriptor comes from. The genus name “Cryptochiton” relates to this camouflage and that the 8 plates are hidden under the girdle. These plates are very uniquely shaped, and well-described with the name “butterfly shells”.

Apparently some First Nations did sometimes chew on this species but I am sure that this is not the cultural origin of some people referring to this species as “wandering meatloaf”!

I don’t know where I picked this up, but I believe that one of the First Nations’ names for gumboot chitons translates (very) loosely, into “stuck on rock with face forever”. This would be an incredibly good descriptor since most chitons stay “face” down, grazing on algae by scraping with the sharp teeth-like structures in their radula. Thereby, they don’t expose their soft bodies and reduce the chance of predation.

I once found a gumboot chiton that had been dislodged by a predator at low tide. It is then that I learned that they have the ability to curl up on themselves like a pill bug!

But outside of a rare experience like this, you don’t often get a chance to see how very alive and animal-like they are.

Unless . . . they are spawning as they were on May 20th.

Up came the bodies of the gumboot chitons, into a very unique funnel-like shape. The “gonadal pores” are near the bottom end of the animals, but by positioning themselves in this shape, they channel the sex cells upward.

I could clearly see which gumboot chitons were male and which were female!

It was just remarkable to see this, feeling truly as if some secret world was being revealed, and the coordinated timing of the spawning was astonishing.

Of course when you are a broadcast spawner, you need to release copious amounts of sex cells and need to do so at the same time or there will be even less chance that egg meets sperm. You can imagine how many eggs need to be fertilized too if any of your zooplankton offspring are going to survive since so many animals feed on plankton.

To my knowledge, science has not concluded exactly what the cues are for “Hey fellow gumbooot chitons, it’s annual spawn time NOW!”  It has to be temperature, light and/or amount of food that determines that the time is right.

Hum . . . seems to me that those cues may be significant between individuals of our species too!

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