under constructionUnder Construction!

Fieldtrip to Shelter Cove, San Simeon, and Rancho Marino Reserve in Cambria, San Luis Obispo Co., CA, March 6-8, 2009

image
We stopped between Pismo Beach and Shell Beach on our way up on Friday.
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
The trail to the beach is in front of the Shelter Cove Best Western Motel
image
The view north from the bluff in front of the motel
image
Shelter Cove is around the corner on the right.
image
View from the trail down to the beach
image
The kelp here was mostly Macrocystis pyrifera
image
Eric
image
The sea cave at the south end of Shelter Cove has an interesting assemblage of species that are not found out in the open.
image
Rock wall inside the sea cave
image
Image Caption
image
Tidepool within the sea cave; the anemones are mostly Anthopleura xanthogrammica, but the four anemones in the lower right are A. sola, with radiating lines on the oral disk.
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
This and the other seastars in the coming images are Henricia n. sp. (D. Eernisse & M. Strathmann, manuscript). It typically has small size and broods its embryos until they emerge as crawl-away juveniles. We have long called it the "mottled brooder." Shelter Cove is as far south as I have seen it in California, but I have found it in the intertidal of a relatively cool upwelling-dominated localities in northern Baja California. In the north, it probably extends up to SE Alaska.
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Oral side - this genus of seastars often feeds on sponges.
image
Image Caption
image
The mottled brooder underwater
image
Mopalia hindsii was very common in the sea cave.
image
Anthopleura sola (sunburst anemone)
image
Anthopleura sola
image
The sea lemon, Peltadoris nobilis (formerly Anisodoris nobilis), is similar to other similar species with which it co-occurs. See: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
image
P. nobilis
image
Mopalia hindsii
image
Archidoris montereyensis is a sponge feeder.
image
A. montereyensis next to an anemone, Anthopleura sola.
image
Cadlina luteomarginata
image
Ally helped me find tiny chitons!
image
Cyanoplax caverna Eernisse 1986 is on the roof of this sea cave. There is one that is about 6mm length in the upper middle of the image -- most were way back in mostly inaccessible depressions. I studied the reproduction of this small chiton and found that it was a simultaneous hermaphrodite that broods its embryos along side of its foot until the larvae are able to crawl away next to their mom.
image
Nuttallina californica, with a much smaller Cyanoplax caverna next to it on the right.
image
Mopalia hindsii
image
M. hindsii (oops--I guess this is the same image as the last one)
image
N. californica
image
N. californica
image
M. hindsii
image
M. hindsii
image
M. hindsii
image
<M. hindsii with two whelks, one with a large slipper limpet (Garnotia adunca; formerly known as Crepidula adunca)
image
M. hindsii
image
Dozens of M. hindsii
image
Pollicipes polymerus - note that gooseneck barnacles in sea caves typically have red lips, I think considered to be reflect its microhabitat rather than any genetic separation.
image
Image Caption
image
Lottia scutum (plate limpet)
image
Cyanoplax caverna in lower left
image
The mottled brooder (Henricia n. sp.)
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Finger limpets (either Lottia austrodigitalis or L. digitalis)
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Owl limpet (Lottia gigantea)
image
Image Caption
image
Arriving at the University of California Kenneth Norris Rancho Marino Reserve in Cambria
image
Image Caption
image
We regularly saw many deer near our campsite, as many as over 30 at one time.
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Reserve Manager, Don, gives us an orientation to the Reserve and ongoing research.
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Master grill chef, Nick, with Diego looking full.
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
We visited the elephant seals near San Simeon.
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Mostly there were pups, undergoing their "quick molt" and soon needing to learn to swim on their own. Over 400 pups were born this season.
image
Image Caption
image
Some females remained, which helps explain why there were some bulls still around.
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Stenoplax heathiana (Heath's chiton)
image
S. heathiana juvenile
image
Shell plates from a Mopalia lignosa, probably eaten by a seastar because the shells were still together.
image
Ventral side of M. lignosa shell plates
image
Acmaea mitra (duncecap limpet) overgrown with bleached coralline algae
image
This is a larger than normal bottle cap -- this was a very large A. mitra.
image
Image Caption
image
Tonicella lokii (southern lined chiton)
image
Mopalia lignosa (L) and T. lokii (R)
image
Image Caption
image
Carnivorous chiton, Placiphorella velata, is an ambush predator -- it raises its expanded anterior girdle "hood" and quickly slams it down when a prey item such as a small amphipod swims by.
image
The snail in front is Chlorostoma funebralis (black turban snail)
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Cryptochiton stelleri (gumboot chiton) is the world's largest chiton species -- we saw perhaps 10 altogether, which is more than normal.
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Laminaria and surfgrass exposed by low tide.
image
Mopalia lignosa (woody chiton)
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Lepidozona cooperi (Cooper's chiton)
image
Patiria miniata (bat star)
image
Mopalia unidentified (juvenile)
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Especially dense Lottia insessa (kelp limpet) on its kelp host, Egregia menziesii (feather boa kelp)
image
Image Caption
image
Sea mouse (Aphrodita sp.) is a polychaete annelid.
image
A small sunflower star (Pycnopodia helianthoides)
image
Sunflower stars are voracious predators.
image
This is a small sunflower star but it is still much larger than the mottled brooder (Henricia n. sp.) below it.
image
Mopalia lignosa
image
Stenoplax heathiana with two much smaller chitons, Leptochiton rugatus, and small comensal snails associated with Stenoplax spp., probably either commensal snails, Teinostoma invallata or Vitrinella oldroydi
image
Image Caption
image
A somewhat larger sunflower star
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Tonicella lokii
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Albert (L) and Melissa (R) are former Bio 317 students who joined us, along with six other graduate students in their lab at CSULA.
image
Dustin
image
Ivan
image
Formerly Lottia ochracea, now regarded as the rock form of the saddle limpet, Lottia instabilis, which is otherwise found on the stipe of Laminaria or Pterygophora.
image
Acmaea mitra (duncecap limpet) is a specialist grazer on coralline algae.
image
Still unidentified
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Triopha
image
Drift Pterygophora holdfast
image
Lottia pelta
image
Image Caption
image
Candice and Oscar
image
Image Caption
image
Audrey and Nick
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
John
image
Image Caption
image
Okenia rosacea (formerly Hopkinsia rosacea) or Hopkins rose
image
Hopkins rose surrounded by coralline algae and a brown turban snail (Chlorostoma brunnea; formerly Tegula brunnea)
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Leptochiton rugatus (redfoot chiton) in its typical "angel" posture related to its respiratory currents
image
Stenoplax heathiana
image
S. heathiana
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Mopalia lignosa
image
Image Caption
image
Octopus rubescens (red octopus) was spotted moving rapidly across the intertidal. - Movies: 1- 2
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Red
image
Bertha
image
Trouble
image
Packing up
image
Some of us stayed two nights
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption
image
We stopped at Mussel Shoals near Ventura on our way home.
image
Image Caption
image
Image Caption

Return to Biology 317 Fieldtrip Map or Bio 317 Field Marine Biology Home Page

Web page created on 3/9/09 using WebMate HyperCard stack by D. J. Eernisse © 2005-2008