Our Latest Tide Pool Collecting Trip

Last week Cari Garand, Adrian Eng, and Portia Riedel went on a tide pool collection trip at The Cove in Normandy Park outside of Seattle.

Here’s what they collected:



Moonsnail egg cases
Mussels
Hermit Crabs
Mossy/Hairy Chitons
Kelp Crabs
Mottled Sea Stars
Ochre Star


Shaggy Mouse Nudibranch
Shells with barnacles
Misc. Juvenile Crab
Plumose Anemones


Brooding Anemones (and their brood)
Aggregating Anemones


Spotted Aglajas
Isopod
Sand dollar
Heart cockle


We expect to keep the sea stars, anemones and hermit crabs for months or years to come. But snail egg cases are fragile and will probably only last a few days before breaking apart. To see our new collection in all its glory, hurry down!
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Late Summer Tide Pool Collecting

This weekend, Cari Garand and Wendy Hanson did an end of summer tide pool collecting trip, along with volunteer John Aurelius who generously lets Pacific Science Center collect from his beach at Indianola.



Trained beach naturalists, Cari and Wendy collected carefully, taking only organisms allowed on our permit, and leaving animals as they found them if they could not be used in our tide pool exhibit.


Here are the animals that Cari and Wendy brought back:

Hermit crabs: 15

Mottled Star: smaller ones, 4

Shrimp: 2 very little

Limpets: no large ones, but many small ones came in attached to other animals

Painted Anemone: 1

Aggregating Anemone: 4 mostly came attached to stuff

Moon Snail Egg Cases: 3

Barnacle covered rocks: 10

Chitons: 3, 2 bigger mossy or possibly hairy ones and one small lined

Snails: 8

In addition to the animals we might expect from a collection, our team spotted a bunch of the coolest looking items we’ve seen! The gelatinous, finger like objects are squid egg cases, and you can actually see the baby squids floating around inside the case.


Of course, Cari and Wendy wished they could bring some of these cases back, but knew that our system would not support such large, free swimming predators as mature squids. So the cases stayed on the beach.


Cari and Wendy used their professional experience to assess which animals would work best in our Puget Sound Salt Water Tide Pool. But being professional does not mean the collectors didn’t feel the wonder and excitement of being on a beach.


We encourage everyone to visit one of our local beaches, and spend time getting to know Puget Sound better. Bring your camera; you never know what amazing pictures may be out there.

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The Very Hungry Nudibranch

Last Thursday, guests and staff were treated to a rare sighting of the Puget Sound Tide Pool model’s one and only shaggy mouse nudibranch (Aeolidia papillosa). This marine slug grazes on the tentacles of sea anemones. Having eaten the tentacles, it stores their stinging cells in its own body, rendering it toxic to predators. The shaggy looking growths on its back, which earned it its name, actually contain these stinging cells.



An unexpected stowaway from our most recent tide pooling expedition, the shaggy mouse is often hard to find. Unlike many home loving tide pool animals, it does not predictably return to a few favorite haunts. Since it is also small, flexible, and sandy in color, it tends to disappear for days or weeks only to suddenly appear in a new part of the exhibit.


In Pacific Science Center’s Life Sciences department, we must constantly remind ourselves not to anthropomorphize. Sometimes are easier than others. As the fluffy little nudibranch crawled between the arms of a purple sea star, it was all we could do not to think the star was petting it.


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Tide Pool Collecting Trip

Pacific Science Center’s Alternative Service policy requires full time staff members to work 40 hours per year in a department other than their own. This policy creates a sense of camaraderie, helps staff members understand each other’s work better, and helps our programs accomplish occasional tasks where a few extra hands are needed. Thus a day at the beach brought in Brigid and Portia, who normally work with our youth volunteers in the Discovery Corps, and Chris and Meredith from our camps’ program. Youth and Family Programs manager Meredith Braud spends much of her time making sure our Camp-ins and vacation and summer camps are dynamic, fun, and trouble-free. But on Wednesday April 20, she got to have a totally different experience. Here is her story.




I was lucky enough to be included in a tide pool collecting excursion for PSC’s Salt Water Tide Pool recently. Having grown up in Louisiana, the tide pools of the Pacific Northwest are still a marvel to me. Most of the coastal waters of the Mississippi delta are muddy and brown, and exotic creatures may dwell there but are masked so well…


I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I came prepared in my best rubber boots. Not wanting anyone to know what a tide pool novice I was, I didn’t readily admit that I had absolutely no clue what we were looking for. I just followed Brianna Todd, Lead Animal Caretaker, and watched as she culled through the rocks exposed by low tide on the beach in Indianola. She found a caramel colored anemone about an inch wide and put it in my bucket. And then I saw another coworker, Brigid, find a beautiful red and green Christmas anemone about the size of a tennis ball, and I was hooked!


How abundant those rocks were in life forms that I hardly would have noticed before this trip! We found hermit crabs and sea snails, anemones of several species, mussels, a little shrimp (he is very cute!), and several other animals that I could neither pronounce or find (they were camouflaged well on those wet rocks). I was most enamored of the anemones with their gooey outsides and tentacled insides that sometimes popped outside.


We also saw lots of creatures that were quite notable, though they were not invited to take up residence at PSC’s Tide Pool. There were some sun stars fish (what brilliant colors!), and some regular sea stars, some of which were as big as my golden retriever puppy. I never knew a sea star could get that big! And the most amazing creature that coworker Chris discovered was a red octopus. His body was about 6-8 inches long when it was spread out and slimy, but he was able to bunch all of his slimy self together and sort of fling his body forward to move toward the water. That little octopus was really fun to watch.


All in all ,the trip was a success! We found some creatures that have a nice new home here with us where they are safe from the ravenous sea stars of the world. Of course, I would have thought it a success anyway. I certainly learned a lot, and I hope to go “collecting” again sometime!



We hope that Meredith’s experience inspires you to visit our Puget Sound Salt Water Tide Pool and meet the animals she brought back. You can also visit the animals that didn’t get collected by visiting a beach at low tide. Please visit respectfully. Touching sea anemones, stars, shells and other tide pool creatures will not harm them, but moving them or the rocks they live on and around can be very harmful to them. Sea mammals, such as seals, and animals that normally swim freely, such as octopus and jellyfish should not be touched. Jellyfish and octopus may contain toxins that absorb through the skin, and all wild mammals are protected by law and must strictly be left alone.




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Our Tide Pool Trip

Hey! My name is Aubrey and I am the Animal Care Intern. On February 23rd, a select group of Discovery Corps members and I went to Normandy Park Cove to collect animals for our Puget Sound Tide Pool exhibit at Pacific Science Center.



At first, we were skeptical of whether or not we would be able to make the trip because it was supposed to snow. Throughout the day we would eagerly look outside anticipating a snow-covered ground, but, alas, there was none. At around noon, our group packed into a Science on Wheels van to travel over to the park. When we arrived we saw that the beach didn’t have people on it - which is excellent for tide pool collecting. This way, we could avoid others thinking that it was okay to collect tide pool animals without a permit.


As soon as we stepped on the beach we went over our objectives. Our goal was to collect hermit crabs, anemones, and chitons within the limit set by our own animal-collecting permit. I was partnered up with my coworker Joy, who is the Discovery Carts Coordinator for our Science Interpretation Program, to find chitons. At first, they were hard to spot out because they blended in with the sand and rock. However, we eventually found some and put them in our collection bucket. While we were collecting chitons, my other coworkers were collecting different species of hermit crabs and anemones. We even saw a starfish with nine legs!


At the end of the day we were tired and cold, but the experience was totally worth it. When we arrived back at Pacific Science Center we moved the new animals into the tide pool so that they could be introduced to their new environment. Since that trip, our tide pool is full of new animals, awaiting the touch of curious minds of visitors.

The Life Sciences blog thanks Aubrey for her report and photographs.

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Reflections of an Animal Care Intern

Ever wonder what it would be like to be an Animal Care Intern? Discovery Corp member, Kayla has had that very opportunity for the past 9 months. Below are Kayla's impressions of working on the Animal Care team.





I initially applied for the Animal Care internship to extend my knowledge and experience of the tide pool. But after I began doing all the tasks, I realized that exotic zoology would be a better fit for me. So even though I learned a ton about the tide pool, I actually ended up finding a field that I am even more passionate about!

I believe that the one thing I learned that will be most helpful in future school or career situations was independence. When I first joined the animal care team, I did not really know how to create my own schedule and do things without being told. But throughout the time I had with my internship, I learned how to plan my own day and be my own boss, even when I had superiors around me. The independence I gained with Animal Care will follow me with whatever I choose to do in life.



I do not think that there was much I was unable to do during my internship because I believe I took full advantage of every aspect of it. I learned about snake handling, feeding all the animals and improved my interpreting skills by learning tons of new information on such great animals! But I do have to admit, the one thing I would have loved to do before my internship was over is tide pooling. It looks like such a great experience to go out and actually see our tide pool animals in the wild.


Of all the animals I dealt with during my internship, the axolotls made me the most uncomfortable. In the very beginning of the internship they actually terrified me. I am not quite sure why, but the thought of putting my whole arm in a tank of axolotls horrified me. But I soon overcame my fear of them and finally began feeding them myself! I actually am quite fond of them now, and hope to own a couple in the future!



During the internship my favorite place to interpret was, without a doubt, the naked mole-rats. Everything about them fascinates me, from the different roles of the colony, to how they raise their young. Some days I would find myself interpreting there for hours. And on many occasions I found myself talking and researching about them when I was not even at work. Someday I actually hope to go to Africa and study them up close in their natural habitat.

I think the most important thing to share about my internship was that it was truly a life-changing experience. It helped me improve on tons of great skills and guided me to a career path that I am passionate about. I will carry the experiences I have had from this internship for the rest of my life. I hope that the next person takes full advantage of every opportunity given with their time in Animal Care, because I am truly grateful that I did.

We are grateful to Kayla for her enthusiastic and inspiring service in our program. The Life Sciences program has surely benefitted as much as she has from her time working in it. We wish Kayla every success in her future undertakings, and expect to hear great things from her.


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Love Your Beach

In wake of the current disaster unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico, we feel extremely lucky for the opportunity to explore our own local beaches, and to appreciate the delicate and unlikely balance of the animals that live along all shorelines. While we continue to hope for the best in the southern coast, we invite you to learn more about the tidal ecosystems that exist on Washington beaches. It’s been said that you can’t protect what you don’t love. We hope you’ll love it too.




On April 29, a group of Pacific Science Center’s life sciences staff and volunteers, along with two of our Science on Wheels teachers took a day trip to Indianola beach to collect marine life for our tide pool exhibit. As always, we brought our scientific collections permit from the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, a list of animals we needed and we came prepared for rain or shine.

It was a beautiful day, and we collected a fine selection of animals.

2 - Aggregate anemone
4 - Christmas Anemone
17 - Hermit Crabs
3 - White anemone
3 - Plumose anemone
1 - Sea Algae (large bag)
5 - Sea stars – ochre
4 - Barnacle groups
3 - Mussel groups
3 - Burrowing sea cucumbers
1 - Key hole limpet
3 - Gunnel fish (juvenile)
5 - Snails
4 - Shrimp (small)
9 - Chiton, mossy or lined
2 - Isopods
1 - Cockle
4 - Moon snail collars



As we worked and enjoyed the day, the environmental damage in the Gulf of Mexico was never far from our minds. Pacific Science Center’s tide pool model was developed to help foster appreciation and stewardship of Puget Sound. Never have those goals seemed more important; nor has the beach seemed more valuable or more fragile.


It can be overwhelming to think of large scale issues that threaten beach health. But there are many things we can do in our daily lives to preserve beach habitats. From visiting the beach respectfully and responsibly, to reducing the use of toxic pesticides, to cleaning our car at a carwash instead of on the street, to using the car less – many simple decisions impact the health of beaches. In caring for the beach, some will become involved in influencing bigger policy questions that help shape the future for our marine animals. We invite you to meet our animals, visit a beach, and link to other organizations dedicated to preserving the health of our irreplaceable Puget Sound.


Once again, we are grateful to PSC volunteer John Aurelius and the Indianola Beach community for allowing us to collect permitted animals from their shores.

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On the Beach

Taking advantage of the remarkably low tides recently, a group of Science Interpreters, Discovery Corps members and Life Sciences staff visited Discovery Park's North Beach on an extended lunch hour. Discovery Park is Seattle's largest park, has a City Park Marine Reserve, and is a close drive from Pacific Science Center. he purpose of our field trip was observational and educational. Because our Saltwater Tidepool Model features Puget Sound animals, we wanted to see them in their natural habitat. Furthermore, we become better spokespersons for their care and wellbeing and bring added insight to our interpretation. With firsthand knowledge, we can help our visitors practice their tidepooling manners for the next time they visit the beach.

　

As we carefully stepped along the sandy shore, we observed colonies of aggegating anenome (Anthopleura elegantissima) congregated within a couple of feet of each other. Scientists have studied warring behavior between aggregating anenome colonies of different genetic composition.

Upon closer inspection, Science Interpreter Gail noticed that the anenome tubercules were covered with tiny bits of shell and sand. This debris protects the anenome from sun damage and helps conserve moisture when the animals are exposed at low tide.

We also noticed an abundance of "clam shows," a dimple in the sand that indicates where a clam has withdrawn its siphon. The pressure from our footsteps on the sand set off a lot of "spitting" from the bivalves buried below. Along the lowest edge of the tide line we noticed a long line of exposed geoduck (Panopea abrupta) siphons. We could only imagine how far beneath the sand these giant clams rested - or how large they must be.Unfortunately, we did not see any sea stars or sculpins on this sandy beach. But at the high tide line boulders were covered with seaweed, kelp, mussels, barnacles and more anemones.The exceptional find of the day was ayoung harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) haul out. Observing this protected marine mammal gave us an incentive to learn about their behavior. Our encounter was a reminder that humans are just visitors to the beach. Seashores are homes to many sea creatures, large and small, which all need our respect when visiting their habitat.

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