July 29, 2011, Cowlitz Bay
Notes and photos for July 29 by Glen R. and Dana S.
15:45 to 18:15, Sunny, 100% sky. Water glassy, wind @ 0 mph. Visibility to 6 meters depth. Low tide -1.8 @ 10:37 a.m. High tide 8.3 @ 18:52. Air temp at 16:00= 24 C. Dock float water temp @ 50 cm deep=13 C. Salinity @ 50 cm deep= 1.021 density (28 ppt). Beach seine attendees: Russell B., Madrona M., David L., Bob Schm., Andrew ?, Barry M., David ?, Dana S., Laurie G., Stan W., Gretchen W., , Addison, and friend, Connor G., Don Heinz, Linda Ethier, Glen R., possibly others whose names I don’t know, Tally notes by Dana S. and help by Glen R. 3 Net pulls total.
15:45 to 18:15, Sunny, 100% sky. Water glassy, wind @ 0 mph. Visibility to 6 meters depth. Low tide -1.8 @ 10:37 a.m. High tide 8.3 @ 18:52. Air temp at 16:00= 24 C. Dock float water temp @ 50 cm deep=13 C. Salinity @ 50 cm deep= 1.021 density (28 ppt). Beach seine attendees: Russell B., Madrona M., David L., Bob Schm., Andrew ?, Barry M., David ?, Dana S., Laurie G., Stan W., Gretchen W., , Addison, and friend, Connor G., Don Heinz, Linda Ethier, Glen R., possibly others whose names I don’t know, Tally notes by Dana S. and help by Glen R. 3 Net pulls total.
July 29, Creatures found in net, tallied by Dana S
1st Pull: 40+ Coonstripe Shrimp @1 to 4 inches,
3 Helmet Crabs,
1 Rock Crab,
5 Kelp Crabs,
1 Lions Mane Jelly @ 16 inch diameter,
6 Chinook Salmon, 8 Chum Salmon,
13 Striped Perch,
1 Shiner Perch,
1 Kelp Greenling @ 12 inches,
2 Staghorn Sculpin,
1 Great Sculpin @ 15 inches (see photo below)
1 Buffalo Sculpin (see photo below)
2 Unid. Sculpin 12 inch and 6 inches,
14 Tube Snout average 6 inches,
4 Gunnels, mostly Penpoint but 1 Unid. (see photo below)
1 Stickleback @ 1 Inch,
2 Herring @ 79 mm and 81 mm.
2nd Pull:
30 tiny 1-inch Shrimp at 1 inch (possibly Coonstripe),
Approx 100 + Coonstripe Shrimp 3-4 inches,
10 Helmet Crab,
1 Red Rock Crab,
5 Chum Salmon,
1 Shiner Perch,
2 Quillback Rockfish,
3 Penpoint Gunnel including 1 @ 12 inches,
1 Red Gunnel at 6 inches (originally identified as a Spotted Gunnel. Red Gunnels apparently can be faintly spotted or striped as adults, reddish to ruddy brown. The white and black eyestripe is what helps distinguish them from a Penpoint. ),
3 Sculpin,
25 Tubesnout,
3 Buffalo Sculpin,
1 Great Sculpin @ 15 Inches (again, see first pull),
1 Greenling.
3rd Pull:
14 Coonstripe Shrimp,
14 Helmet Crab,
2 Jellyfish,
2 Ctenophores (Comb Jellies) 1 @ 1 inch diam.,
1 Chum Salmon @ 63 mm, a few Chinook? And other Chum?,
5 Striped Perch,
2 Penpoint Gunnel, 1 @ 4 inches and 1 at 11 inches (see photo)
7 Tubesnouts,
1 Rockfish,
1 Great Sculpin,
6 Sculpins between 3 and 5 inches,
61 Herring between approx. 72 mm and 97 mm: (8 were measured) 72, 74, 74, 85, 88, 94, 94, 97 mm).
3 Helmet Crabs,
1 Rock Crab,
5 Kelp Crabs,
1 Lions Mane Jelly @ 16 inch diameter,
6 Chinook Salmon, 8 Chum Salmon,
13 Striped Perch,
1 Shiner Perch,
1 Kelp Greenling @ 12 inches,
2 Staghorn Sculpin,
1 Great Sculpin @ 15 inches (see photo below)
1 Buffalo Sculpin (see photo below)
2 Unid. Sculpin 12 inch and 6 inches,
14 Tube Snout average 6 inches,
4 Gunnels, mostly Penpoint but 1 Unid. (see photo below)
1 Stickleback @ 1 Inch,
2 Herring @ 79 mm and 81 mm.
2nd Pull:
30 tiny 1-inch Shrimp at 1 inch (possibly Coonstripe),
Approx 100 + Coonstripe Shrimp 3-4 inches,
10 Helmet Crab,
1 Red Rock Crab,
5 Chum Salmon,
1 Shiner Perch,
2 Quillback Rockfish,
3 Penpoint Gunnel including 1 @ 12 inches,
1 Red Gunnel at 6 inches (originally identified as a Spotted Gunnel. Red Gunnels apparently can be faintly spotted or striped as adults, reddish to ruddy brown. The white and black eyestripe is what helps distinguish them from a Penpoint. ),
3 Sculpin,
25 Tubesnout,
3 Buffalo Sculpin,
1 Great Sculpin @ 15 Inches (again, see first pull),
1 Greenling.
3rd Pull:
14 Coonstripe Shrimp,
14 Helmet Crab,
2 Jellyfish,
2 Ctenophores (Comb Jellies) 1 @ 1 inch diam.,
1 Chum Salmon @ 63 mm, a few Chinook? And other Chum?,
5 Striped Perch,
2 Penpoint Gunnel, 1 @ 4 inches and 1 at 11 inches (see photo)
7 Tubesnouts,
1 Rockfish,
1 Great Sculpin,
6 Sculpins between 3 and 5 inches,
61 Herring between approx. 72 mm and 97 mm: (8 were measured) 72, 74, 74, 85, 88, 94, 94, 97 mm).
July 29, 2011 Notes
From Glen R: For those who think that Herring don’t jump, 3 times they jumped 6 inches up and out of the 5 gallon bucket. Also, there was a report from the Salmon lavaging people that 1 Salmon disgorged a 45 mm. Herring. interesting, as none that small were in the net. Doubly interesting because the Cherry Point Herring might be about that size right now from a May hatch. By the way Russel also mentioned that some of the Chinook we are getting are so small that it might be much more traumatic to do lavage on them instead of the bigger ones.
As far as fish heatlh in captivity, I noticed that my bucket aerator stopped working after the 3rd net pull and my herring captives were much more stressed than when I have an aerator working. (When I got it home it was just the way the battery was posititoned that made it not work).
As far as fish heatlh in captivity, I noticed that my bucket aerator stopped working after the 3rd net pull and my herring captives were much more stressed than when I have an aerator working. (When I got it home it was just the way the battery was posititoned that made it not work).
July 15, 2011, Cowlitz Bay
At 16:00, overcast with 100% cloud cover. Water rippled, no wind, Air temperature 24ºC, Water temperature 11ºC. Density ppt = 50. We seined at 16:15
July 15 Creatures found in the net, count by Fred A
2 Greenling, white-spotted
1 Gunnel spp
25 Gunnel, penpoint
? Herring
81 Perch, striped
7 Rockfish, quillback
102 Salmon, chum
96 Salmon, chinook
46 Salmon, pink
1 Sand lance
1 Sculpin, reticulated (this is new to us at Cowlitz)
1 Sculpin, sharpnose
9 Sculpin, staghorn
1 Smelt
5 Snake prickleback
52 Tubesnout
1 Gracile Crab, 1 Dungeness Crab, 7 Helmet Crabs, lots of rock crabs, 85 Coonstripe Shrimp.
1 Gunnel spp
25 Gunnel, penpoint
? Herring
81 Perch, striped
7 Rockfish, quillback
102 Salmon, chum
96 Salmon, chinook
46 Salmon, pink
1 Sand lance
1 Sculpin, reticulated (this is new to us at Cowlitz)
1 Sculpin, sharpnose
9 Sculpin, staghorn
1 Smelt
5 Snake prickleback
52 Tubesnout
1 Gracile Crab, 1 Dungeness Crab, 7 Helmet Crabs, lots of rock crabs, 85 Coonstripe Shrimp.
July 15 Lavage
Some of the hatchery salmon had lice, I don't remember that any of the wild ones did. Most of them had eaten fish, either herring or perhaps also sand lance. There were a few shrimp in the diet as well. The division between hatchery and wild chinook diet was not noticeable this time around (compare the July 1 seine).
July 1, 2011 Cowlitz Bay, weather by Glen R
At 16:00, sunny with 5% cloud cover. Slight haze to the West. Water glassy, wind less than 2 mph Visibility 3 fathoms. Air temperature 22ºC, Water temperature 13º C. Salinity 1.024, density ppt = 31. We seined at 16:30.
July 1 Creatures found in the net, count by Dana S
5 Herring, measured at 21, 23, 85, 113, 115 mm
1 Greenling - Kelp, about 300 mm
8 Gunnel - Saddleback
? Perch - Shiner
20 Perch - Striped, ranging from 76 to 175 mm
1 Rockfish - Copper
2 Rockfish - Quillback (kept for lavaging)
70 to 80 Salmon - Chinook
2 Salmon - Chum
52 Salmon - Pink
84 Salmon that were either chum or pink
? Sandlance
? Sculpin
3 Smelt - Surf, measured at 145 and 147 mm
7 Snake Prickleback, measured at 203, 223, 304 mm
29 Tubesnout, typical lengths at 127 and 125 mm
Coonstripe shrimp, comb jelly, rock crab.
1 Greenling - Kelp, about 300 mm
8 Gunnel - Saddleback
? Perch - Shiner
20 Perch - Striped, ranging from 76 to 175 mm
1 Rockfish - Copper
2 Rockfish - Quillback (kept for lavaging)
70 to 80 Salmon - Chinook
2 Salmon - Chum
52 Salmon - Pink
84 Salmon that were either chum or pink
? Sandlance
? Sculpin
3 Smelt - Surf, measured at 145 and 147 mm
7 Snake Prickleback, measured at 203, 223, 304 mm
29 Tubesnout, typical lengths at 127 and 125 mm
Coonstripe shrimp, comb jelly, rock crab.
July 1 Lavage
Of 30 chinook, 2 had lice, one of those was a gill louse. Six were hatchery fish, and they were larger, ranging from 140 to 154 mm. They had eaten mostly herring. The 24 wild fish ranged from 79 to 143 mm, with a teeny tiny 47 mm one. These fish had eaten mostly midges or gnats.
The rockfish had eaten shrimp, seemingly exclusively. It seems that juvenile salmon pick things off the top of the water column, and the rockfish graze benthically, along the bottom. This suggests that the question - "Do juvenile salmon and juvenile rockfish compete for prey?" can be answered with a resounding "Nope."
The rockfish had eaten shrimp, seemingly exclusively. It seems that juvenile salmon pick things off the top of the water column, and the rockfish graze benthically, along the bottom. This suggests that the question - "Do juvenile salmon and juvenile rockfish compete for prey?" can be answered with a resounding "Nope."
July 1 Comments and Conversations
The freshly lavaged fish are dropped into an aerated recovery bucket. They begin swimming upside-down, and eventually right themselves. When all fish are upright and look healthy, we return them to the ocean.
When Laurie lavaged a salmon, it barfed up ... "Lots of 'em! Orange things!"
Russel: "Copepods? Copepods?"
Madrona: "Maybe it belongs to some kind of bizarre religion."
Copepods are crustaceans. There are 1,000s of species, and the largest are only about 2 mm. They have a trilobite-like head, a long abdomen, and bristles on the abdomen and tail.
Laurie, who was acting as fish wrangler, peered into the bucket and observed, "The guy at the bottom is throwing up."
During the lavaging process, a dead sand lance fell out from a crevasse in the measuring tray. This was because earlier that week, the Lopez team had caught zillions of sand lance. They like to burrow and one burrowed into the tray, poor thing. Madrona: "Remember the time I found one that had burrowed into my pocket?"
While clipping the fins for DNA testing, Russel said that about 5% of the "chinook" that had been sent in for testing are coming out as coho instead.
When Laurie lavaged a salmon, it barfed up ... "Lots of 'em! Orange things!"
Russel: "Copepods? Copepods?"
Madrona: "Maybe it belongs to some kind of bizarre religion."
Copepods are crustaceans. There are 1,000s of species, and the largest are only about 2 mm. They have a trilobite-like head, a long abdomen, and bristles on the abdomen and tail.
Laurie, who was acting as fish wrangler, peered into the bucket and observed, "The guy at the bottom is throwing up."
During the lavaging process, a dead sand lance fell out from a crevasse in the measuring tray. This was because earlier that week, the Lopez team had caught zillions of sand lance. They like to burrow and one burrowed into the tray, poor thing. Madrona: "Remember the time I found one that had burrowed into my pocket?"
While clipping the fins for DNA testing, Russel said that about 5% of the "chinook" that had been sent in for testing are coming out as coho instead.