Outing: Shoreline and Botany, Miracle Beach, 4th March 2019

Posted on March 13, 2019 by Botany

Between the Botany group and the Shoreline group, we had a big turnout on a lovely late winter day. Conditions were so great, in fact, that we were hardly bothered by the lack of seaweeds that were supposed to be the focus of the day. Betty was giving demonstrations on how to press seaweeds, replete with finished examples of lovely red algae and miniature bull kelp, among others. 
A few notes:

  • A seaweed reading and resource list is attached as a PDF. I intended to hand this out with a little preamble about what to be on the lookout for, but didn’t want to interrupt a pleasant lunch. 
  • Sharon N. followed up on a question about whether any seaweeds could be used for dying of fibres. She passed along a paper that used a green algae from Malaysia as a natural source for green coloration of textiles using boiling water and “ammonia-fermentation”. I’m sure Sharon would agree that there would be a lot of interest in a local seaweed that could be used as a dye. 
  • There was talk about using seaweed as fertilizer and food. Sharon also kicked up this old DFO report on uses of marine plants. Forgive the antiquated language, but I paste an excerpt from the publication below to catch the attention of those who might be excited at the thought of making beverages, knife blades or insulating materials from local seaweeds. This old (1961) publication has a short discussion of impacts of seaweed harvesting

“There is a variety of uses of algae that can be recorded in connection with human activities. Rhodymenia palmata is used in Kamchatka to prepare a strong alcoholic drink. The Alaskan Indians and Eskimos are reported to make a brew called hoochenoo from Nereocystis. Methods have been proposed for the manufacture of manna-like substances from certain species of Laminaria containing a considerable amount of sugar and mannitol. A candied peel and pickles have been prepared from the fleshy stipe of Nereocystis”.   

  • On the fertilizer front, Roger and Betty were talking about the use of dead, fermenting piles of seaweed on their garden. VIU’s Marine Field Station down in Deep Bay did a study on the utility, logistics and impacts of seaweed piles as a fertilizer. Of interest to our group– they monitored when the largest volume of seaweed washed up. We will plant out outing for late October next year (see chart below of shore seaweed biomass v. calendar date)
  • There was a lot of interest in the flatworms. There are lots of interesting things about flatworms. This video shows a high-resolution sequence of their regenerative ability. Lastly, no mention of flatworms would be complete without mention of their famous “Penis Fencing”. You can chose to watch this video or not, but be assured it is very biological and very interesting. 
  • Crustose seaweeds. We saw a dark “tar spot” that I was erroneously referring to as Ralfsia-like. While some of these dark spots may have been that tar-spot genus, others showed young Turkish washcloth (Mastocarpus) emerging. There was also a lively, red crust.
  • Jocie snagged a thin, brown-green filamentous seaweed that at first blush looked like cyanobacteria. How do you distinguish between uniseriate (single-cell thick) seaweeds and cyanobacteria? Broadly speaking, algae are relatively more robust (they can take more tensile stress). Under the microscope, the difference is much clearer. Cyanobacteria, by virtue of being prokaryotic organisms, have no membrane bound organelles. A simple stain shows nuclei if you have a true alga. The little mucky looking seaweed that Jocie saw turns out to be a brown alga. Sea felt. 
  • Some seaweeds have remarkably complex life histories. We saw some encrusting phases and some leafy phases of red alga. We saw young sea lettuce, which alternate between haploid (gametophyte) and diploid (sporophyte) that are morphologically and functionally identical . The preceding links show lovely life cycles.
  • What did we see? 
    • Rockweed (Fucus)
    • Sea Lettuce (Ulva)
    • Black pine (Neorhodomela)
    • “Laver”/Sushi Seaweed (Porphyra)
    • Turkish towel (Chondracanthus)
    • Turkish Washcloth (Mastocarpus)
    • Sea Lace (Microcladia)
    • Sea felt (Pylaiella)
    • Rusty rock (Hildenbrandia)
    • Unidentified tubular species. 
  • Lastly– the peaks in the distance to the north and east. Peakfinder is a handy website and app for making sense of landscapes. According to that site, the Matterhorn-like peak was Mt. Denman, and the tall peak to the left was Mt. Doogie Dowler. 

Thanks again to Betty for hosting and demonstrating and sharing all of her knowledge.
See you soon, Randal

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Shoreline Outing Summary: Miracle Beach, Night outing, Jan 19th, 2019

Posted on January 20, 2019 by Botany

Hi Everyone,
Here is my take on last night’s wonderful outing at Miracle Beach

Thirteen naturalists caught a break in the weather to survey the sand flats of Miracle Beach Provincial Park. Under the light of a full moon, the group lamped up to catch the 10:30 pm low tide. Some of the highlights from the outing included

·         Moonsnails (Neverita lewisii)
·         Pipefish (Syngnathus leptorhynchus)
·         Leather Stars (Dermasterias imbricata)
·         Purple Sea Star (Pisaster ochreus)
·         Kelp Crabs (Pugettia sp.)
·         Decorator crabs (Oregonia gracillis)
·         Aeloid Nudibranch (Hematina trophina ?)
·         Sand anemone (species uncertain)
·         Eccentric Sand Dollars (Dendraster eccentric)
·         Large hermit crabs (Pagarus sp.)
·         Horse Clams/Gapers (Tresus sp.)
·         Nuttall’s Cockle (Clinocardium nuttallii)
·         Whelk shells (occupied by hermit crabs)
·         Tube worm casings galore

Sand Dollars

There were a few remarkable things we saw in the throughs between sand bars. There was a remarkable density of oblique-to-vertically-oriented sand dollars. I counted more than 100 in a 1 m2 at my feet and then got tired of counting. This video from the California Academy of Sciences gets into the physics of their orientation and morphology as it related to feeding and currents and might be of interest to those who were taken with their orientation & form.

Pipefish

Ian pointed out that he has noticed pipefish around pilings and amongst eelgrass beds whilst kayaking. We found them in groups loitering casually in sandy depressions. What were they doing just hanging out here? These relatives of the seahorse feed on crustaceans (maybe the small translucent-brown shrimp or copepods?). Like the seahorses, the males hold the eggs during development. We didn’t notice any brood pouches. Maybe we caught them just being pipefish, living around the eelgrass and feeding on little shrimp.

Lewis’ Moonsnail

We saw one unhappy moonsnail with a semi-retracted foot, while Diane found a vigorous specimen cruising the low-tide line looking for some mollusk to murder. Ian and Betty clarified that the moonsnails are vicious predators, using their muscular foot and abrasive radular to drill holes through the shells of bivalves and gastropods so that they may feed on the soft tissues within. This website by Tom Carefoot digs into the research about the mechanics and efficacy of moonsnail feeding.

A seaslug of uncertain affinities

Forgive the lack of photographs, but it was dark. Near the end, we saw a translucent white nudibranch with reddish-pink cerata (fleshy/hairy outgrowths along the back) that terminated in a creamy yellow bulb. If anyone has a confident ID of this, let us know. The keys pointed towards Hematina (Flabellina) trophina, but at that point they were using the flange of the vas deferens as an identifying character. Never the less, the broader group “Aeolids” in this environment have an interesting feeding feature. All over the beach were tubeworm sheaths. It turns out species in this group feed on hydroids (like Obelia) that grow on the outer surface of these tubeworm casings.

Night outings

It was informally resolved that we try a late summer evening outing to catch bioluminescence in action. Another winter low tide outing will be planned for next year.

  • Miracle Beach at night

Upcoming

Betty Brooks has invited botany and shoreline group members over in February to look into a demonstration of seaweed pressing and survey the tatters of seaweeds onshore in the late winter. Exact details will be mailed out soon. 

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Guest Speaker: John Neilson, Tuna, Swordfish & Sharks, Sun. Jan. 20, 2019

Posted on January 19, 2019 by Botany

(Bluefin tuna swimming off Nova Scotia. Photo courtesy of M. Stokesbury)

CVN invites the public to learn about the really big fish of Canada

Comox Valley Nature is pleased to host a public lecture. Join Dr. John Neilson for an illustrated talk entitled: “The really, really big marine fish of Canada: tuna, swordfish and sharks”. The lecture is on Sunday January 20, 2019 and will start after introductions at 7pm in the Rotary Room of the Filberg Seniors Centre 411 Anderton Ave, Courtenay.

Canada’s oceans are home to many of the largest and most fascinating fish species on earth. The world record bluefin tuna was caught in Canadian waters, and 1000 pounders are still caught with some regularity. Swordfish are also caught, often in a harpoon fishery that Ernest Hemingway would have appreciated. Canada is also home to some iconic shark species, including Greenland shark in Arctic waters, thought by some to be the longest-lived vertebrate in the world. In the Canadian Pacific Ocean, the magnificent basking shark is now on the brink of extinction after misguided attempts to eradicate them. John Neilson will provide an overview of the status of selected large fish species in all three of Canada’s oceans.

John Neilson holds a Ph.D. in fisheries science from Simon Fraser University, and has had a thirty year long career with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. During the last part of his DFO career, Dr. Neilson headed the large pelagics program on the Atlantic Coast. Currently, he is a Co-Chair of the Marine Fish Specialists Subcommittee of COSEWIC, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.

This is an excellent opportunity for the public to learn more about the large marine fish of Canada and their management.

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Shoreline Outing Summary: Williams Beach, High Tide, November 28th, 2018

Posted on December 4, 2018 by Botany

We had a good turnout on a mild and bright Wednesday morning at Williams Beach for the second highest tide of the year. While confined to a narrow strip of shore between the gentle waves and the slippery, imbricate logs, we managed to see quite a lot. The following are some notes and observations related to the outing.

(1) Shoreline Erosion and Sea Level Change
Around these very high tides, particularly in wet and stormy weather, is when you can see the ocean eating away at the shore. With rising seas, shoreline erosion with increase. In our region, changes in sea level have both global and regional underpinning. On the global level, the melting of glaciers and ice sheets is taking a volume of water previously sequestered on land and returning it to the oceans. Increased ocean temperatures also also lead to some thermal expansion of the volume of the oceans. The IPCC 2017 assessment and modeling of sea level rise attributes about 20 cm of sea level rise over the last 100 years to this flux from ice to ocean. Furthermore, it predicts anywhere from another 20 to 100 cm rise by 2100.

Locally, sea level change is complicated by two other factors– land level changes associated with tectonic activity (earthquakes and crustal flexure driven by the accumulation of strain near the subduction zone) and the slow rebound of the Earth’s crust in our area after it was buried under 1-2km of ice at the peak of the ice age. Locally, a recent paper by Fedje et al. provided evidence for sea levels being almost 200m higher. The map below is from the linked paper and shows the location of paleoshorelines in the Quadra Island area circa 14,000 years ago. We saw a much more recently exhumed shoreline just above the present beach.

(2) The Midden
We saw the dense concentration of clam shells in the bank from which Betty pulled a stone pestle some years ago. There was some discussion about how to distinguish human deposits of shell material from the “lags” of shells that typically accumulate by wave, tidal and current sorting. Some criteria: the biological composition of the shell material, vertical and lateral extent of the deposit and the prevalence of interstitial cobbles and sand. The troughs in which shells naturally accumulate tend to follow depositional bedforms  that are either laminated or swooping and typically on the scale of ~1m or less in lateral extent and typically around  cm-scale vertically.

(3) Stuff thrown up by the ocean.
We found a potpourri of seaweeds. Below from left to right are some of the common ones- Saccharina sp. (Sugar Kelp), Nerocystis sp. (Bull kelp), Sargassum sp. (Japanese Gum Weed), Ulva sp. (Sea Lettuce), Constantia sp. (Cup & Saucer), Chondracanthus sp. (Turkish Towel)  and Gracilaria sp. (Red Spaghetti).

Gary discussed how their colours and depths are controlled to some extend by the types of chlorophyll present in the species. Some of the more drmatic coloration at this time of year has more to do with the breakdown and loss of chlorophyll and pigments.

We saw some interesting animals, most notably a pacific sand lance (presumably hanging out in the abundant sands just below the high-tide line at Williams Beach) and a large sponge kicked up by the surf from the subtidal flats.

The identification of sponges is challenging as keys focus on spicule characters. The spicules are structural elements, typically rods of mineral material that are encased in organic compounds. I prepped out some spicules using standard household bleach and found these lovely ~100 micron spicules (“Tylostyles”) of SiO2. Turns out this thing is called “Dead Man’s Fingers”, Homaxinella amphispicula. It is a demosponge, which is to say a mixture of organic structural elements and mineralized ones. It is a subtidal species, so likely kicked up during a very strong storm around the wave base.

There are upcoming late night low tides. The plan is to head to miracle beach at night with headlamps to see what is stirring. I’ll send around a date later this week.
Thanks everyone for coming out and contributing.
See you soon,
Randal

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Botany Outing Report: Fungi and Soup, Nov 19th, 2018

Posted on November 26, 2018 by Botany

Botany Group Report  : November  19th Outing Tsolum River Road

The range of fungi for later November was still large.  Of note we identified many large Russula brevipes – short- footed russula- that heaves up moss, turf, branches etc. ( see photo + slug). We also found one Russula xerampelina  – shrimp russula  (specimens of which were in the soup).  We saw lots of Inocybe species, and the Hypholoma fasciculare – sulfur tuft – in its various stages from young button to degraded soggy  brown “mush”.  Curiosities included the Pseudohydnum gelatinosum  – cat’s tongue (see photo)  and Nidula candida -bird’s nest fungus.  I failed to find a specimen of Xylaria hypoxylon – carbon antlers, so see attached photo taken on the Tuesday.  Also, another intriguing late fall fungus that eluded me on Monday (Jocie not being with us!)  was the Auriscalpium vulgare   “earpick fungus” .   It falls into the tooth/spine morphological group and is another example of a fungus with very specific environment – Douglas fir cones – see attached photos.


Cat’s Tongue                                                                   Carbon Antlers

  

Lactarius w orange latex                                        Russula brevipes

The Lactarius that we found near the end of the walk turns out to be Lactarius aestivus,   not in Truedell and Amirati (where it would still be subsumed under Lactarius deliciosus var. deliciosus.)  It was larger than the Lactarius subflammeus, of which we saw hundreds, and much more robust, with orange (not white) latex (see photo).

Here is the general entry on L. aestivus  from Matchmaker ( no photo however) :

Features of Lactarius aestivus include 1) viscid, orange, zonate cap, 2) subdecurrent to decurrent, crowded, orange gills, 3) orange and whitish stem that may be scrobiculate, 4) scanty bright orange milk, 5) grayish green staining of some parts (but not extensive and conspicuous), 6) fruiting under true fir and hemlock.   (scrobiculate means pitted with indentations , in other words it is not a smooth straight -sided stalk).  All these macro characteristics fit.   See photo  attached.

It is well illustrated and described in Siegel and Schwarz “Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast”  and they note that in their opinion it is the best tasting of the “deliciosus” group.  It is less grainy and firmer, which is my experience.  I did pick and cook up more caps (the stipe is too tough).

Next Gathering : Christmas Potluck lunch  Monday Dec. 10th, 12.30 pm

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Guest Speaker: Terry Thormin, Sun. Nov. 18, 2018

Posted on November 11, 2018 by Botany

CVN invites the public to learn about Nature Photography

Comox Valley Nature is pleased to host a public lecture. Join Terry Thormin for an illustrated talk entitled: “Nature Photography in the Comox Valley” The lecture is on Sunday Nov. 18, 2018 and will start after introductions at 7pm in the Rotary Room of the Filberg Seniors Centre 411 Anderton Ave, Courtenay.

The Comox Valley has a diversity of ecosystems ranging from marine intertidal estuaries, rivers, marshes, forest and subalpine mountain habitats. These habitats are home to an abundance of organisms. Nature photography is critical for documenting habitat and species diversity in the area. These images can also serve as a record of biodiversity and can generate an increased interest in nature by the general public.

Terry Thormin is a very accomplished photographer with an impressive collection of images that include landscapes, plants, fungi and a variety of animals such as insects, spiders, fish, reptiles, birds and mammals. Terry has worked for a private ecological consulting company based in Edmonton, Alberta, doing mostly bird work, and much of it in the Canadian Arctic. He also freelanced for a couple of years before joining the staff of the then Provincial Museum of Alberta (now the Royal Alberta Museum) as a foreground artist working on dioramas. He then switched to the newly formed Invertebrate Zoology Program where he stayed until he retired in 2006. He now lives in Comox on Vancouver Island, B.C.

This is an excellent opportunity for the public to learn more about nature in the Comox Valley and nature photography.

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Botany Outing Report: Paradise Meadows, Oct 15th, 2018

Posted on November 11, 2018 by Botany

Report on October 15th walk 

For those who missed the report at our last general CVN meeting, for the October 15th gathering we had a glorious day to meander around the Paradise Meadows loops, collecting the SWI plant signs to store for the winter. In fact it was Frank N. who collected most of them while the rest of us enjoyed the fall colours of the vaccinia  etc. and investigated a number of interesting fungi.  There were still lots of berries on the bog and dwarf blueberries, and so it was not surprising to learn that one of our group who went up earlier saw wet imprints of bear paws on the boardwalk.  By the time we walked around the Boardwalk was dry. Among the fungi, Ruth identified a new bracket polypore for the Paradise Meadows list, namely Porodaedalea pini, on the trunk of a still living abies species. It is one of the species that causes white-rot in heartwood. We found a number of different species of Cortinarius – the one in the photo taken by Sharon is  Cortinarius phoenicius var. occidentalis, commonly called western red dye since the rich burgundy of both cap and gills is much prized by those who use fungi for dyeing.

Then we shared lunch with the Canada jays on the picnic table outside the Wilderness Centre.

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Upcoming Botany Group Meeting November 2018

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Botany

Upcoming Botany group Meeting

First of all, our next Gathering will be on Monday November. The forecast at this point seems to call for showers.  However, we will have a walk around our woods first to see the latest crop of fungi.  This year has been good for a whole lot of species that did not even make an appearance in the past two years.  We can talk about Mushroom Identification and then for lunch there will be mushroom soup -with amongst other ingredients Russula xerampelina, which were abundant a couple of weeks ago and easy to identify (for once) using the characteristic features listed in  Siegal & Schwarz, Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast (which includes many species that are to be found all the way up to our coast).

Russula xerampelina: key characteristics
·         cap colour variable, mostly purple to reddish brown
·         gills creamy when young, yellowish to ochre with age
·         stipe creamy, often blushed with pink tones
·         stipe staining slowly yellow then brown when scratched or even handled
·         stipe has firm exterior and pithy core
·         taste mild  ( many russulas are very bitter – test on the tip of your tongue)
·         odour slightly fishy or like shrimp ( more obvious in older specimens)

The attached photo should illustrate the stipe staining slowly yellow when scratched.  When cooked the red of the cap turned the whole flesh pink ( another reason for the common name shrimp russula?)

It would be appreciated if you let me know that you are coming, to give me a rough idea of numbers for soup , coffee and tea.

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Guest Speaker: Scott Wallace, Sun. Oct. 21, 2018

Posted on October 16, 2018 by Botany

CVN invites the public to learn about

Comox Valley Nature is pleased to host a public lecture. Join Dr. Scott Wallace for an illustrated talk entitled: “Can the Species at Risk Act Recover Southern Resident Killer Whales?” The lecture is on Sunday Oct. 21, 2018 and will start after introductions at 7pm in the Rotary Room of the Filberg Seniors Centre 411 Anderton Ave, Courtenay.

The Southern Residents are a distinct population of killer whales who frequently use the Salish Sea during the summer months. They have been legally protected under the provision of the Species at Risk Act for nearly 15 years. During this time the population has suffered from increased threats of prey reduction, contaminants and disturbance. The population is now at its historically lowest number and has not had a successful birth in over three years. This talk will discuss the biological, political, and legal challenges of protecting this unique population.

Dr. Scott Wallace is a marine ecologist employed by the David Suzuki Foundation as a Senior Research Scientist. Scott is an educator, author, activist, naturalist and scientist whose career has focused on marine conservation. His work at the David Suzuki Foundation is centered on species at risk, healthy oceans, citizen science and sustainable fisheries. He has taught several university and college level courses focused on the marine and coastal ecology of British Columbia. Scott sits on several fishery advisory boards. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia.

This is an excellent opportunity for the public to learn more about Southern Resident Killer Whales.

 

Comox Valley Nature is a non-profit society affiliated with BC Nature, consisting only of unpaid volunteers. CVN fulfills its educational mandate by hosting monthly lectures, organizing free weekly guided hikes for members, and a free monthly walk open to the public.  Comox Valley Nature also supports specialized groups (Birding, Botany, Garry Oak Restoration, Wetland Restoration, Photography and Young Naturalists Club) which have separate monthly activities.  Membership in BC Nature and Comox Valley Nature is $30 per adult and $40 for a family.

Founded in 1966, it is one of the oldest environmental societies on the North Island.  Meetings and lectures of the Comox Valley Naturalists Society are held on the third Sunday of most months at the Florence Filberg Centre, 411 Anderton Ave., Courtenay.  Meetings and guided walks are open to the public, including children and youth.  Lecture is free, though a $4 contribution from non-members is appreciated. New memberships are always welcomed.

Anyone interested in this lecture or participating in CVNS activities can also contact us at the website www.comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca

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VIGIRM Conference 27th and 28th October 2018, Courtenay

Posted on September 30, 2018 by Botany

OCTOBER 27th & 28th, 2018

VANCOUVER ISLAND AND GULF ISLANDS REGIONAL SEMINAR
Hosted by Comox Valley Nature

October 27th, 2018: Florence Filberg Centre, 411 Anderton Ave., Courtenay BC

Schedule:

09:30 am         Registration open
10:30 am         Seminar starts: Chaired by John Neville. Meeting will have 4 discussion periods:       Topic one:       Shoreline Concerns: started by Sharon Niscak,Comox Valley Nature
Topic two:       Wetlands Preservation: started by Genevieve Singleton,Cowichan Valley Nature
Topic three:     Invasive Species: started by Jim Boulter, Comox Valley Nature                        Topic four:       Biodiversity & Development: started by Loys Maingon, Comox Valley Nature

12:00 pm         Lunch Break; light lunch at hall, featuring soup, sandwiches and fruit

13:00 pm         Grant Scott:               Are BC Herring in Dire Straits?
13:45 pm         Randal Mindell:         South Coast Fossil Conservation
14:30 pm         Coffee break
14:45 pm         Michael Motek:          Native Plants: Restoration is for the Birds
15:30 pm         Loys Maingon:          Forgotten Wetlands, Future Water Quality, Freshwater & Marine Biodiversity
4:15 pm           Discussion
4:30 pm           Closing remarks and social until 6 pm closing

October 28th 2018: Field trips;
All Car Pooling occurs at Filberg Centre, 411 Anderton Ave., Courtenay

Coal Hills with Loys Maingon: Car pool at Filberg at 9:00 am, Trailhead at 9:30 am

Morrison Creek Headwaters with Jan Gemmell and Jim Palmer Car Pool at Filberg at 10:00 am

Cape Lazo with Will and Alison Marsh: Car pool at Filberg at 12:30 pm, Trailhead at 1:00 pm

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