Port Isobel 2000 Data 17-19 Nov 2000

Your goal for this field trip is to describe energy flows, autochthonous and allochthonous sources.  Observe how the environmental factors, especially the weather (temperature of air, water, and sediment, insoliation-how long sunlight is available, seasonal changes), salinity, dissolved oxygen in the water, nitrogen and phosphorous in the water, light penetration (secchi disk), affect the organisms, both plants and animals.

Objectives:

1) record abiotic data (don't neglect sediment)
2) obtain any records of abiotic data in the past year
3) observe and record biotic data
4) species richness-diversity of flora
5) species richness-diversity of fauna
6) abundance: stem counts, fauna counts
7) formulate energy flows in the ecosystems we observe
     a) nutrient availability (storms, currents, aeolian)  autochthonous and allochthonous
     b) primary producers: detritus based?  plant based?
     c) 1st order consumers
     d) 2nd order consumers
     e) seasonality
     f) r vs K selected species
         diversity of each category
         abundance of each category
     g) osmoregulators vs osmoconformers- plant and animal
8) identify the forcing function for the ecosystems observed
9) assess sustainability of the ecosystems and identify main sources of environmental resistance
10) sit back and THINK
      what are you observing?
      what is conspicuous by its absence?
      what did you see that appeared out of place for this ecosystem?
      WHY are you seeing the species, conditions, etc, that are present?  Is it related to location, habitat,    
       weather, distance, competition, nutrient availability, human influence, resilience, ....
       What is the current land use?  What is historical land use?  What are major industries?

In your field report, include procedures, yours and general procedures for scraping, dredging, and crab potting.
Do not under estimate the importance of your observations and subsequently, your interpretation.

  
field equipment:
ours:
secchi disk
thermometers
refractometers
DO kit (Winkler method)
transect line
meter sticks
quadrat pipes
Mac 2000
bubble bucket
field keys
CBF:
oyster dredge
grass bed scrape
crab pots
GPS
N, P, suspended solids kits

DATA

17 Nov 2000; 4:00 PM
variable cloudiness, sun is behind clouds, breezy
tides:  high 6:13 pm  low 12:36 am
temp: air:12C sed: 11C water: 11C
salinity: 23ppt
sediment:
     0 m  clay and sand  horsetails
     6m   sand coarse and wet
    12m  dark, fibrous, slimy-fine clay particles, H₂S scent

Transect Data:  terrestrial only
Distance m     Height cm
       0                    0
       3                   13
       6                   39
       9                   41.5
     12                   40
     15                   43
     18                   52
     21                   63
     24                   72

Biomass:  
1/2 m² was used for all quadrats
3.5 m (from splash zone)  Spartina alterniflora 166 stems, standing dead biomass  
                                        approximately 35% cover  
                                        no Ulva observed     
                                        fauna at this quadrat: mussel shells and angel wings

6 m                                  Spartina alterniflora  9 standing live stems
                                        Spartina patens more than 200 stems mixed with Distichlis spicata

18 m                                Juncus roemerianus   62 standing live stems and 87 standing dead stems 

Fauna
Callinectes sapidus
osprey nest
mallard ducks
swan
Chrysaora quinquecirrha
Pelencanus occidentalis brown pelican
sabellid worms
serpulid worms
raccoon tracks
Ardea herodias  great blue heron
Leucophoyx thula  snowy white egret
gull
Crassostrea virginica   oyster shell
Crytopleura costata
Rangia sp.  marsh clam
Littorina irrorata
Geukensia demissa
flies
Ballanus  barnacles
Aurelia auritia
boat tailed grackle
razor clam
scoot

Grass Beds

18 Nov  7:10 AM
temperature:  air 6C  water 9C
clear and cold, light breeze
depth 1.8 m
salinity: 23ppt

2 scrapes:  10 min/scrape

1st scrape:
Zostra marina      eel grass
Ruppia maritima  widgeon grass
>25 Palaemonetes vulgaris   grass shrimp
4 isopods 
2 scuds
3 stickleback
mummichug
2 Callinectes sapidus  immature female
Nassarius    dog whelk
2 Aurelia aurita
bryzoans

2nd scrape:
Zostra marina      eel grass
Ruppia maritima  widgeon grass
Gracelaria 
bryzoans
>25 Palaemonetes vulgaris   grass shrimp
4 green elongated isopods 
2 scuds
2 stickleback
4 Syngnathus     pipefish  (green,  brown)
2 Callinectes sapidus  immature female
Nassarius    dog whelk
1 Aurelia aurita
3 Chrysaora quinquecirrha
1 skeleton shrimp

gulls
Canada geese
comorant

Oyster Bar  (dredge)

19 Nov 8:30 AM
temperature: air 2.4C  water 9C
cloudy and cold, windy
depth: 2.7 m
salinity:  23ppt

2 dredge runs  ( 5 min and 6 min)

live oysters, not including spat  cm

Other Fauna:
naked gobi
skillet fish
serpulids - Polydora
Cliona  (burrowing sponge)
Balanus  sp.    barnacles
Callinectes sapidus
tunicates   sea squirts
Hemigrapsus    mud crab
Nassarius  sp   dog whelk

Crab Pots   (set out ~20)
set out 5:45 PM  17 Nov
collected 4:30 PM  18 Nov
males > 12.5 cm   3
males<  12.5 cm   11
females > 12.5 cm   6
females< 12.5 cm  17

bycatch:
Aurelia aurita

Zostra marina

Eels
eels are catadromous
18 Nov 4:00 PM
temperature: air 2.2 C    water: 7C

Water Quality  19 Nov
19 Nov  11:00  AM
windy, overcast, ebb tide, chop water surface
temperature:  air 2C  water 7C
secchi depth:  80.0 cm
water depth:  1.2 m
salinity:  23.0 ppt
nitrate:  concentration  0.3mg/L  (ppm)
phosphate:  0 mg/L  (may not have been accurate)
dissolved oxygen  8 mg/L  (ppm)
volume filtered chlorophyll  50 mL   pale green flecks
volume filtered suspended sediments  500mL    grey/brown coating

General Background Information:
dredge spoils dumped on island
Pinus taeda planted for erosion control, allowing to die and be replaced by salt marsh