4SP1 West Transect – 2017

Permanent Site: 4SP1 - West Transect; Depth: 6.2 Meters (20.2 Feet); Distance from river mouth: 0.8 Kilometers (0.5 Miles) East; Pre/Post Dam Removal: 6 years post-dam removal; Lat/Long: 48.15257, -123.557376; Site Description: This site has converted from gravel/cobble substrate to all sand. Since 2013, seaweed has been completely absent. However, this year six species of brown seaweed were present though not abundant and included the perennial seaweed Pterygophora californica (0:37 seconds), Alaria marginata (0:52 seconds), three-ribbed kelp Cymathere triplicata (1:04 seconds) and Costaria costata (1:08 seconds). No red seaweed was noted. Dungeness crabs (Metacarcinus magister) are commonly found buried in the sand at this site (1:44 seconds). Schools of Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) were present as well as one of their predators, the starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus) (1:49 seconds).