Salinity Notes from 2009 by Glen R
SUMMARY COMMENTS ON 2009-2010 SALINITY SAMPLING
This is a brief summary of exploratory salinity sampling notes performed by various W. Island people from 2009 to 2010. I thing that now is a good time to pause and contemplate the data we have received as we now have a variety of observations from various samples done in both different locations and different times (Spatially and temporally).
After the end of this brief summary, I include data. Also, attached are some jpeg pics of some field notes of salinity smapling done last summer by 4 locals.
With the recent submission of Kathy O.’s data from that open boat salinity measuring trip last summer, we now have observations from 5 different intertidal (above lo tideline) site inventories, one rather geographically large area in an open water trip , and a complex of sub-tidal (0-1m below tideline) measurements taken at 3-4 sites each at 3-4 different times.
Although I will continue to take occasional salinity measurements, I wonder about the merit of taking field trips primarily dedicated to measuring local salinity. Adding to existing data sets would look to be increasingly complex, and intrepreting them accurately would be a challenging endeavor. On the other hand, data gathered so far has satisfactorally answered some of the main simple questions that have driven this measuring.
The big answers that I could summarize is that local salinity and local marine temperatures are complex arrangements that merit detailed discussion in order to be fully comprehended. Sometimes changes in both salinity and temperature vary in small amounts and sometimes large amounts, even over short distances or short times. . They appear to vary latitudinally, horizontally, according to tidal influences, seasonally, and according to acute weather events. \
Perhaps the most surprising salinity measurements to me were the ones take by the open boat crew last summer when they found almost pure fresh water slightly north of Bare Rock, at just about the moment of low tide. Almost pure water at the surface, to me that is amazing. Most folks who have talked of this attribute this to the Fraser River outflow fan. The Fraser was just finishing reaching its full salt water extent at about the this low tide time when salinity measurements were being taken.
Another thing that a cursory look at the data reveals is that apparently, salinity varies at the depth of the water recorded, with the fresh water apparently riding atop the salt water. Also, in the beach seining reports from April to July of 09, the salinity at all sites seems to show fairly uniform trends as a group of rises and falls from month to month.
Temperature measurements, as noted in previous reports, can also vary considerably according to sunlight conditions, whether intertidal or below, and to some extent according to the bay being sampled.
Ok, along with this I am including some these notes pertinent to salinity, notes that not all of us have yet seen yet.
The first batch is some notes I extracted from beach seine notes by Julie L. of 2009 beach seining excursions. The second batch are jpeg photos of field notes that Kathy O took last summer. This was done from the open boat crew sampling in open water, mostly in Cowlitz but also as far away as Bare Rock on 7- 29-09. Kathy O. sent these notes from the work of herself, David L. and Mike and Emmett C.
April 20, 2009
Severson Bay 12:42 At water surface: 8.7 degrees C, 26.3 ppm salinity.
Zeos beach 13:35 At water surface: 11.3 degrees C, 26.1 ppm salinity.
At 1.5 meters down, 9.5 degrees C, 26.3 ppm salinIty.
Mail Bay 14:29 At water surface, 10.5 degrees C, 26.2 ppm salinity
At 1.5 meters down, 10.2 degrees C, 26.2 ppm salinity
MAY 4th 2009
Cowlitz Bay, 12:10. Low tide, 9.1ºC water, 26.7 salinity.
Severson Bay, 13:20. Surface: 9.8ºC, 26.6 salinity; Bottom at 1m: 9.5ºC, 26.6 salinity.
Zeo's Beach 14:35. Surface: 8.8ºC, 26.8 salinity; Bottom at 1m: 8.7ºC, 26.8 salinity.
Mail Bay: time of seine 15:46, Surface temp 10.2ºC salinity 26.6, bottom at 1 m 9.6ºC, salinity 26.6
JUNE 1,2009
Cowlitz: 11:15. At water surface, 10.9º with 24.8 salinity. At 1 meter depth, 10.7º with 24.9 salinity
Severson Bay: 13:34. At water surface, 13.0º with 24.6 salinity. At 1 meter depth, 10.8º with 25.2 salinity
Zeo's Beach: 14:12. At water surface, 11.9º with 23.9 salinity. At 1 meter depth, 11.4º with 24.1 salinity
Mail Bay: 14:53. At water surface, 13.3º with 22.9 salinity. At 1 meter depth, 12.8º with 23.2 salinity
June 30, 2009
Cowlitz Bay, 11:30, Water 56.1º F or 13.4ºC, high tide, sunny, breezy, light chop.
Zeo's Beach, 14:00. Windy, sunny, choppy water with a bit of surf, early ebb. Water 15.7º C or 62º F.
Mail Bay, 14:40. Calm, sunny, flat water, ebb tide. Water 63.5ºF or 17.5ºC.
Sept 21, 2009 Water Testing at the Wagners
Email from Gretchen: Great session on Monday when six of us spent nearly three hours practicing water test procedures under the very capable tutelage of Kathy Orlich. We stumbled around a bit at first, but Kathy coaxed and coached us on the finer points so that by the end of the session we'd mastered Nitrate, Phenol and Chloride testing.
We'll schedule another session for mid October to go through the remaining tests and then talk about where we go from there.
BTW, on Tuesday I noticed some strange black spotting on the stainless steel rim of the kitchen sink, spots that don't come off. The spots showed up right where we were washing out test vials and disposing of waste, so I'd assume a connection. No great problem with the spots, but they should serve as a reminder that some of the chemicals we are using for testing are highly reactive and should be handled with care.
Reply from Russel: Well done! Kathy visited me at Friday Harbor Labs yesterday to discuss tech support for your efforts, including additional testing methods, fresh supplies, and quality assurance. She will be a great mentor and I'm glad she's involved! Please let me know when and how I can help.
Overview of Water Testing by Glen R
Russel Barsh of Kwiaht loaned us a refractometer. It measures salinity content of water so we can identify freshwater flows into the marine shoreline around us. We get about 3 billion gallons of precipitation each year, so we can expect to see freshwater migrating in many places on the island, and seasonal variations in specific places.
The freshwater is a carrier for upland biology and chemicals. Once we identify the freshwater concentrations we should be able to focus further seep studies to begin to understand the nutrients, contaminants, organisms (and possibly other ecologically important things) from the upland that enter our shoreline. We will explore the role the seeps play in our local marine biology.
The refractometer is simple to use and comes with directions. Interested people should survey a selected beach and pass it on to the next interested person, or return the refractometer to Glen (for now) for safekeeping. (Please send results to Julie for publication. She'll use first names only and avoid the "W***n" word.)
Although we are beginning with salinity sampling, I imagine our efforts could evolve into other sampling directions. As for myself, I am doing this seep sampling primarily to understand the relationships that herring and immature salmon have with the seeps around us, as over the years of observations I have come to believe there might be some connections. So I am interested not only the biology of this but also the water chemistry and the geology of seeps.
As far as the nutrient biology angle goes, Ryan D suggests that we sample for 3 trace elements critical for marine life: iron, manganese and chromium. We should also check for ph by squeezing out soggy marine wood and sampling that liquid. We should pay particular attention to diatoms (this last week was the largest diatom bloom he had ever seen at Mittelstadt's). In monitoring the changes to beach biology, Ryan suggested that ideally we would use time lapse photography. As a less complete option, he recommended photographs of low tides on the same beach area each quarter of the moon, as much shoreline biology is tied in with moon phases. Looking under rocks could also give some clue to how healthy the small critters at that side of the food web are doing.
Bob S is interested in sampling the little organisms that might flow out of seeps, and he is also thinking we should do ph. He suggested that it would be good if we had a centralized place to have the sampling gear so if someone wants to use it they can go there and get it.
I’ve assembled a preliminary checklist of items that a person might want to do salinity seep sampling.
CHECKLIST
2 buckets: one for things you don’t want to get wet, one for things it doesn’t matter if they get wet.
DRY BUCKET: refractometer, soft tissue to clean off plate, clipboard/notebook for data collection, pen or pencil, digital camera, 12+ 3"x3" pieces of brown cardboard (in ziplock bag) to write sample site numbers for photos (can use both sides of cardboard), dark magic marker.
WET BUCKET: drinking water in container to clean off refractometer plate, eyedropper to collect water drops for refractometer plate.
OPTIONAL: rubber boots, plankton or other critter gathering equipment, shoreline id book (e.g. Kozloff’s Seashore life of the North Pacific), hand spade or shovel, drinking cup to let sampling water settle, vials (with labeling equipment) for water collection for future lab study
For the time being, I would suggest that each person figure out their own way to do a seep report. I think we need to evolve a little more before we agree on a somewhat standardized report form. Eventually it would seem to be nice to use the data to color code in the shoreline with the freshwater concentrations, and/or with numbers on it for the low salinity concentrations. We could maybe build a map that would overlay with some other maps like seabird concentrations maps, plankton types maps, forage fishes and juvenile salmon maps, etc. With an assortment of overlays we might be able to get a more complete picture of how our local marine community functions.
May 28, 2009 around Mittelstadt's, report from Glen R
13:45 - 16:20. 20º C. Sunny, clear. Wind <5 mph. Very slight riffle on the water. Low tide -2.4 at 14:30.
Location: walked from Little Hammond (Otter Point) back to 100 m from big submerged rock by farm bay landing. Measuring and Recording by Glen R.
Site 1: Saltwater shoreline at Little Hammond, 15 cm deep. S=1.024
Site 2: water interface below rock field where very scattered oysters are (South of Little Hammond). (Unable to get to water below the rocks in rock field itself). s=1.021
Site 3: 100 m south site 2, where up-beach rocks meet sandy clay. S=1.023
Site 4: 75 m south site 3, where pebbles in rocks become less. S=1.022
Site 5: About 20 m North of where North end of Farm Bay Bluffs end, and slope vegetation begins. S=1.022
Site 6: Directly below interface where North end bluffs end with Scotch broom border to beach front. Sampled what appears to be sandy remnant of an earlier flow down the beach, conspicuously open spot free of seaweeds on rocks. Have pic. S=1.018
Site 7: 80 meters South of Site 6. Sandy wet spot. Located below about midway point on cliff bluff, about 30 feet below where rock field begins. S=1.021
Site 8: 100 m south of site 7. Seaweed pool where rocks meet sand, a little south of where bluff begins running north. S=1.020
Site 9: 100 m south of site 8. Seaweed pool where gravel meets rocks. S=1.020
Site 10: 100 m south of site 9. About 50 m south of where field/ forest boundary is on upland. Measuring right at where gravel rock interface is. S=1.016
Site 11: 110 m south of site 10. Directly below alder clump (where CSA veg wash shed is) where gravel meets boulders covered with seaweed. seaweed pool. S= 1.021
Site 12: 100 m south of site 11. (About 100 meters north of where measuring done previous day.) Where gravel meets rock. S=1.019
Summary: These two days (see below for May 27) give preliminary marine seep information from Mittelstadt's farm landing to Little Hammond. Most of the sites had lower salinity than offshore saltwater, with some sites significantly lower than others. Possibly indicates that there is freshwater seepage along the entire beachfront sampled. Besides very local variances, it seems that this would change seasonally. At a mean annual rainfall of 25 inches precipitation per year, our Island receives about 2.5 billion gallons of freshwater per year, so it is understandable that there would be widespread freshwater seepage at the shoreline.
2 curious other observations:
First: It seems that looking at the shape of the land and the particulars of water activity on the beachfront, a person could develop the ability to figure out where freshwater seepages might be greater. The refractometer narrows this down. Achieving ability in this would help one figure out where possible shoreline hand dug wells might be better located.
Second: The lowest salinity measured today occurred at site 10. The upland geology from this site is where there is a subtle crease running perpendicular to the shoreline where the arable fields change into a more steep terrain of forest. Another curiosity about this site is that in subsequent years of beach walk observations, site 10 is where I have consistently noted the most juvenile pink and chum salmon in the spring. These salmon observations were done at high tide, when the seep outlet would have been further from shore than the surf zone.
Location: walked from Little Hammond (Otter Point) back to 100 m from big submerged rock by farm bay landing. Measuring and Recording by Glen R.
Site 1: Saltwater shoreline at Little Hammond, 15 cm deep. S=1.024
Site 2: water interface below rock field where very scattered oysters are (South of Little Hammond). (Unable to get to water below the rocks in rock field itself). s=1.021
Site 3: 100 m south site 2, where up-beach rocks meet sandy clay. S=1.023
Site 4: 75 m south site 3, where pebbles in rocks become less. S=1.022
Site 5: About 20 m North of where North end of Farm Bay Bluffs end, and slope vegetation begins. S=1.022
Site 6: Directly below interface where North end bluffs end with Scotch broom border to beach front. Sampled what appears to be sandy remnant of an earlier flow down the beach, conspicuously open spot free of seaweeds on rocks. Have pic. S=1.018
Site 7: 80 meters South of Site 6. Sandy wet spot. Located below about midway point on cliff bluff, about 30 feet below where rock field begins. S=1.021
Site 8: 100 m south of site 7. Seaweed pool where rocks meet sand, a little south of where bluff begins running north. S=1.020
Site 9: 100 m south of site 8. Seaweed pool where gravel meets rocks. S=1.020
Site 10: 100 m south of site 9. About 50 m south of where field/ forest boundary is on upland. Measuring right at where gravel rock interface is. S=1.016
Site 11: 110 m south of site 10. Directly below alder clump (where CSA veg wash shed is) where gravel meets boulders covered with seaweed. seaweed pool. S= 1.021
Site 12: 100 m south of site 11. (About 100 meters north of where measuring done previous day.) Where gravel meets rock. S=1.019
Summary: These two days (see below for May 27) give preliminary marine seep information from Mittelstadt's farm landing to Little Hammond. Most of the sites had lower salinity than offshore saltwater, with some sites significantly lower than others. Possibly indicates that there is freshwater seepage along the entire beachfront sampled. Besides very local variances, it seems that this would change seasonally. At a mean annual rainfall of 25 inches precipitation per year, our Island receives about 2.5 billion gallons of freshwater per year, so it is understandable that there would be widespread freshwater seepage at the shoreline.
2 curious other observations:
First: It seems that looking at the shape of the land and the particulars of water activity on the beachfront, a person could develop the ability to figure out where freshwater seepages might be greater. The refractometer narrows this down. Achieving ability in this would help one figure out where possible shoreline hand dug wells might be better located.
Second: The lowest salinity measured today occurred at site 10. The upland geology from this site is where there is a subtle crease running perpendicular to the shoreline where the arable fields change into a more steep terrain of forest. Another curiosity about this site is that in subsequent years of beach walk observations, site 10 is where I have consistently noted the most juvenile pink and chum salmon in the spring. These salmon observations were done at high tide, when the seep outlet would have been further from shore than the surf zone.
May 27, 2009 around Little Hammond, report from Glen R.
13:30 16:00. -3.1 low tide at approx 13:45. Air temp 20º C. Wind< 8mph. Mostly sunny.
People: Glen R, measuring and recording. Later, Ryan D showed up with helpful interpretive observations.
Location A: Mittelstadt Bay, vertical measurements from high tide mark to water, about 15 m to the North of the ‘fall’ line from the farm pumphouse. The big rock visible at low tide is the main reference point. Also, some scouting measurements towards N for 100 m along wet tideland interface with dry tideland toward Little Otter Point.
Site 1: wet spot 6 m to South of ‘fall line’ and then up beach from big rock to highest wet spot on beach s.= 1.017 water temp this pool=18 C
Site 2: dug hole to first water 8 feet up from big rock, 5 m away and parallel to site 1 s.= 1.020 water filling into pool = 16 C
Site 3: 4 m. up beach from site 2, water level (w.l.) at 15 cm below surface s.=1.023
Site 4: 4 m. up beach from site 3, w.l.=23cm below surface. s.= 1.021 water temp = 15 C
Site 5: 4 m. up beach from site 4, w.l.=28 cm below surface. s=1.023 water temp=15 C
Site 6: 4 m up beach from site 5, (about 5 m from driftwood) w.l.=40 cm below surface s= 1.023
Site 7: down beach 60 m to N, where rivulet on upper side of sandbar s.= 1.020
Site 8: rivulet 20 m away towards North. s.= 1.022
Site 9: in surf line about 15 cm from shore beyond sandbar s=1.024
Site 10: 40 m South of site 9, in surf 15 cm deep. s.= 1.024
Site 11: 40 m North of site 9, in surf 15 cm deep. S= 1.024
Site 12: rivulet 30 m to North of Site 11, s= 1.023
Site 13 to Site 23: Along the beach to the north from Site 12, salinity sampling was done at ten other places along the interface where water first appears in tideland. This interface is where the beach surface changes from gravelly sand to rocks covered with seaweed. Ryan observed that the slope changes steepness (geological isoclines) where this interface is occurs. The rock field is embedded in a clay strata, which is a different surface than the up-beach sand/gravel mix.
Ryan theorizes that both freshwater seeps and saltwater tide drainage emerge from the gravel at this impervious clay bed.
Site 1 had the lowest salinity. It also was where the highest tide pool was on the beach. I theorize that where wet spots first appear walking towards the water is where I will encounter the lowest salinity in the fall line from the upland ground to the beach front. In randomly sampling this interface at 10 sites within 100 m, the salinity varied from 1.016 to 1.020.
Summary: It seems that if wet spots are not visible on the beach, then water encountered in digging will likely be residual saltwater from the previous high tide. It seems like the best way to identify changes in shoreline salinity is to take measurements from where the first water appears in walking down the beach slope. Digging tools are not necessary. Use strides as measurement units to identify general locations (1 stride=1 meter). Water temperature can vary considerably in the littoral zone and if someone has boots and a boat, then very different marine microclimates may occur within meters of one another.
People: Glen R, measuring and recording. Later, Ryan D showed up with helpful interpretive observations.
Location A: Mittelstadt Bay, vertical measurements from high tide mark to water, about 15 m to the North of the ‘fall’ line from the farm pumphouse. The big rock visible at low tide is the main reference point. Also, some scouting measurements towards N for 100 m along wet tideland interface with dry tideland toward Little Otter Point.
Site 1: wet spot 6 m to South of ‘fall line’ and then up beach from big rock to highest wet spot on beach s.= 1.017 water temp this pool=18 C
Site 2: dug hole to first water 8 feet up from big rock, 5 m away and parallel to site 1 s.= 1.020 water filling into pool = 16 C
Site 3: 4 m. up beach from site 2, water level (w.l.) at 15 cm below surface s.=1.023
Site 4: 4 m. up beach from site 3, w.l.=23cm below surface. s.= 1.021 water temp = 15 C
Site 5: 4 m. up beach from site 4, w.l.=28 cm below surface. s=1.023 water temp=15 C
Site 6: 4 m up beach from site 5, (about 5 m from driftwood) w.l.=40 cm below surface s= 1.023
Site 7: down beach 60 m to N, where rivulet on upper side of sandbar s.= 1.020
Site 8: rivulet 20 m away towards North. s.= 1.022
Site 9: in surf line about 15 cm from shore beyond sandbar s=1.024
Site 10: 40 m South of site 9, in surf 15 cm deep. s.= 1.024
Site 11: 40 m North of site 9, in surf 15 cm deep. S= 1.024
Site 12: rivulet 30 m to North of Site 11, s= 1.023
Site 13 to Site 23: Along the beach to the north from Site 12, salinity sampling was done at ten other places along the interface where water first appears in tideland. This interface is where the beach surface changes from gravelly sand to rocks covered with seaweed. Ryan observed that the slope changes steepness (geological isoclines) where this interface is occurs. The rock field is embedded in a clay strata, which is a different surface than the up-beach sand/gravel mix.
Ryan theorizes that both freshwater seeps and saltwater tide drainage emerge from the gravel at this impervious clay bed.
Site 1 had the lowest salinity. It also was where the highest tide pool was on the beach. I theorize that where wet spots first appear walking towards the water is where I will encounter the lowest salinity in the fall line from the upland ground to the beach front. In randomly sampling this interface at 10 sites within 100 m, the salinity varied from 1.016 to 1.020.
Summary: It seems that if wet spots are not visible on the beach, then water encountered in digging will likely be residual saltwater from the previous high tide. It seems like the best way to identify changes in shoreline salinity is to take measurements from where the first water appears in walking down the beach slope. Digging tools are not necessary. Use strides as measurement units to identify general locations (1 stride=1 meter). Water temperature can vary considerably in the littoral zone and if someone has boots and a boat, then very different marine microclimates may occur within meters of one another.
May 25, 2009 near Otter Cove, report from Glen R
13:00 - 16:00 -3.5 low tide at approx. 12:10 pm. 60º F. wind < 10 mph. Cloudy.
People: Hallie A, Bob S (with refractometer), Linda E, Glen R (recording).
Location A: Seal Rock near the A's where Hallie noted a seep.
Site 1: .5 meters (m.) off of shoreline salinity (s.) = 1.023
Site 2: 2 m. from shore s.=1.020
Site 3: 10 m. from shore s.=1.020
Site 3a: wet spot dripping off cliff face s.=1.000
Location B: below E-H residence in Little Otter Cove/North Mail Bay. (There are scattered oysters on cliff faces at this cove)
Site 4: highest ‘tide pool’ at beach s.=1.013
Site 5: at marine side, in 15 cm water s.=1.020
Site 6: drier looking spot approx. 6 m. diag up beach to N from site 4 s.=1.016
Site 7: wet spot 3m in gravel above site 4 s.=1.011
Site 8: parallel to beach spot 3 m to south site 7 s=. 1.013
Summary: Wet spots (or pools perched higher in the beach slope than others) seem to be indicators for possibly lower salinity. This fresh water appears to be concentrated in very narrow spots. Salinity may vary substantially a few meters to one side or another.
People: Hallie A, Bob S (with refractometer), Linda E, Glen R (recording).
Location A: Seal Rock near the A's where Hallie noted a seep.
Site 1: .5 meters (m.) off of shoreline salinity (s.) = 1.023
Site 2: 2 m. from shore s.=1.020
Site 3: 10 m. from shore s.=1.020
Site 3a: wet spot dripping off cliff face s.=1.000
Location B: below E-H residence in Little Otter Cove/North Mail Bay. (There are scattered oysters on cliff faces at this cove)
Site 4: highest ‘tide pool’ at beach s.=1.013
Site 5: at marine side, in 15 cm water s.=1.020
Site 6: drier looking spot approx. 6 m. diag up beach to N from site 4 s.=1.016
Site 7: wet spot 3m in gravel above site 4 s.=1.011
Site 8: parallel to beach spot 3 m to south site 7 s=. 1.013
Summary: Wet spots (or pools perched higher in the beach slope than others) seem to be indicators for possibly lower salinity. This fresh water appears to be concentrated in very narrow spots. Salinity may vary substantially a few meters to one side or another.
May 18 Brainstorming Meeting, rough notes
Attenders: Gretchen W, Bob S, David L, Kathy O, Glen R. Other people who were unable to attend also expressed interest in working with water quality sampling or have ideas that might be helpful. For example, Josie said she is curious about the vehicle contaminants on PO hill going into the marine water near the dock.
David suggested that interests could perhaps be best divided into 3 areas of interests
1) terrestrial groundwater and wells
2) seeps and intertidal
3) marine
These could be divided into subgroups. Participants can belong to more than one group, but groups need not meet at the same time.
Kathy, a professional in the water quality field, volunteered to help us set up sampling protocols and to help teach us how to use the equipment. She is willing to teach a workshop in July. She suggested that at the onset that we try to be open about things we should sample for before we decide on any definite regimes. We don’t want to be endlessly sampling for something that has little variance in the study areas. Longevity of data collection is extremely important. In order to make this more practical for the long run, testing for a limited number of things might be more practical than testing for everything.
Bob is interested in water quality of marine and intertidal environments.
Gretchen is interested in mapping the major seeps around us. She advocates that we run tests that we already have the equipment and training for. She wonders if there is any model for doing studies, and how do we characterize a seep. She wonders if there are contaminations in the seeps and if so where the contamination is coming from. She is interested in the human ecology of water quality. As a way to get a better picture of water quality there could be workshops where people could bring in well and other water samples and have them tested. In water quality sampling we should be sensitive to the concerns that landowners might have about their effects on localized water quality.
Glen is interested in the water quality of seeps and the relationships that water quality has in marine communities. Of primary interest is how seeps relate to herring and the overwintering sub adult coho populations. He is also curious about how other marine community members are affected by seeps- plankton, seabirds, other fishes and the food web.
Various group members decided that we need to learn more about how we should study seeps and then set up protocols. We can start taking low tide pictures of various seeps and build a photo library.
David suggested that interests could perhaps be best divided into 3 areas of interests
1) terrestrial groundwater and wells
2) seeps and intertidal
3) marine
These could be divided into subgroups. Participants can belong to more than one group, but groups need not meet at the same time.
Kathy, a professional in the water quality field, volunteered to help us set up sampling protocols and to help teach us how to use the equipment. She is willing to teach a workshop in July. She suggested that at the onset that we try to be open about things we should sample for before we decide on any definite regimes. We don’t want to be endlessly sampling for something that has little variance in the study areas. Longevity of data collection is extremely important. In order to make this more practical for the long run, testing for a limited number of things might be more practical than testing for everything.
Bob is interested in water quality of marine and intertidal environments.
Gretchen is interested in mapping the major seeps around us. She advocates that we run tests that we already have the equipment and training for. She wonders if there is any model for doing studies, and how do we characterize a seep. She wonders if there are contaminations in the seeps and if so where the contamination is coming from. She is interested in the human ecology of water quality. As a way to get a better picture of water quality there could be workshops where people could bring in well and other water samples and have them tested. In water quality sampling we should be sensitive to the concerns that landowners might have about their effects on localized water quality.
Glen is interested in the water quality of seeps and the relationships that water quality has in marine communities. Of primary interest is how seeps relate to herring and the overwintering sub adult coho populations. He is also curious about how other marine community members are affected by seeps- plankton, seabirds, other fishes and the food web.
Various group members decided that we need to learn more about how we should study seeps and then set up protocols. We can start taking low tide pictures of various seeps and build a photo library.