A2 West Transect – 2017

Permanent Site: A2 West Transect; Depth: 12.8 Meters (42.0 Feet); Distance from river mouth: Kilometers 1.8 (1.1 Miles); Pre/Post Dam Removal: 6 years post-dam removal; Lat/Long: 48.14130295, -123.5883331; Site Description: One of our deeper sites at over 40 feet. Sediment is primarily sand/sandy mud with scattered boulders. Seven species of seaweeds are present though not abundant. The most common species are the acid kelp Desmarestia (0:32, 1:00, 1:33 seconds). Costaria costata was also present (2:05 seconds). Bull kelp Nereocystis luetkeana was present but not seen on the video. Three species of bivalves are very abundant (geoduck Panopea generosa, truncate softshell clams Mya truncata and butter clams Saxidomus gigantea) though none are seen on the video. Feather duster tubeworms are very abundant, especially the species Eudistylia vancouveri (0:19, 1:36 seconds), Schizobranchia insignis (1:12 seconds) and Eudistylia polymorpha (1:31 seconds). Other invertebrates seen on video: the moon snail Euspira lewisii (0:26 seconds) and its egg case (0:38 seconds). Diver Ian Miller of Washington Sea Grant can be seen surveying invertebrates at 0:40 seconds.