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Surfperch and nature on the sandy beaches

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Morning Mirror

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  • Posted on February 2, 2019
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The Curves and Colors of California Mussels

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  • Posted on January 16, 2019
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Beachcombing theoutershores: a 2018 Retrospective

  • by minustide
  • Posted on December 31, 2018December 31, 2018
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Along the Winter Drift Line

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  • Posted on December 22, 2018December 31, 2018
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Pollicipes, Magical in the Morning

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  • Posted on November 11, 2018November 11, 2018
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Standing Out in Mytilus trossulus

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  • Posted on November 5, 2018

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Beach Combing

theoutershores

My thoughts and experiences on the exposed outer coast. Lots of photos and a few words about intertidal nature. I’m always thinking about sandy beach connections to its sister ecosystems, the rocky intertidal, estuaries, and coastal forests. You can see photos of things I’ve found washed ashore on my Wrack Line pages. If you are looking for new takes on common intertidal algae, plants, and animals, I’m always updating my Variety of Life pages. I love the full-page layout on all theoutershores’ pages.

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Flashing back one year, to June 14, 2018 and that Alaria-covered rock (foreground)⁣ ⁣ Notes on names: This is winged kelp, Alaria marginata. The wings aren’t evident here. Our Alaria also goes by ribbon kelp, for its blade’s broad midrib. You’ll notice the midrib on at least a couple of the blades. Looks like there might be a bit of Mazzaella creeping in on the right edge, just above center. The dark crinkly blade, lower right, is Hedophyllum sessile. Surf grass and kelp (Laminaria?) in the middle distance.⁣ ⁣ Notes on zones: This is low intertidal on the exposed coast. The rocks in the background protect this spot a little. That said, it’s raucous when the tide rolls in. ⁣ ⁣ #intertidal #pnw #oregoncoast #oregonshores #beachnaturalist #tidepools #seaweed #algae #fbf
Complicated Mastocarpus⁣ ⁣ Notes on names: In 2011 Mastocarpus was revised. I’m going to leave it at that.⁣ Lots of acorn barnacles, Balanus glandula, and Nucella. Maybe a few periwinkles too?⁣ ⁣ Notes on zones: This scene is more or less high intertidal, just above the mussel beds.⁣ ⁣ #intertidal #pnw #oregoncoast #oregonshores #beachnaturalist #tidepools #seaweed #algae #tbt⁣
Starbucks twin-tailed siren hotstopper.⁣ As common as they are, I don’t see many in the drift line.⁣ ⁣ Notes on names: These are also known as splash sticks and cup harpoons. Also noticeable, a strand of surfgrass and a mole crab carapace.⁣ ⁣ Trivia: Starbucks introduced these in 2008.⁣ ⁣ #intertidal #pnw #oregoncoast #oregonshores #beachcombing #wrackline #driftline #tideline #fbf
Out of the shadows. ⁣ Throwing back to the moment when morning sun briefly illuminated a lone mask limpet.⁣ ⁣ Notes on names: This is Lottia persona. Its most popular common name is mask limpet.⁣ ⁣ Notes on zones: Lottia persona likes the high intertidal crevices and overhangs. This scene is high on a rock wall with a seep. ⁣ ⁣ Notes on orientation: This limpet is facing into the crevice, away from the camera. The apex, the pointy top of the shell, is located far forward.⁣ ⁣ #intertidal #pnw #oregoncoast #oregonshores #tidepool #pacificshells #tbt
⁣⁣They’ll challenge you, but in the end they’re sweethearts. ⁣ ⁣ Notes on names: This is the striped shore crab, sometimes lined shore crab, Pachygrapsus crassipes. ⁣ ⁣ Trivia: sometimes they come out aggressively, claws up. Eventually they back off. ⁣ ⁣ #intertidal #pnw #oregoncoast #oregonshores #tidepools
Ah, surface tension⁣ ⁣ Notes on names: This is Janolus fuscus, the white and orange tipped nudibranch. At least I think it is.⁣ ⁣ Notes on orientation: Upside down by human standards, this one seemed at home on the surface film.⁣ ⁣ Trivia: It’s worth knowing they’re predators. ⁣ #intertidal #pnw #oregoncoast #oregonshores #tidepools #nudibranchs
Endocladia among the barnacles⁣ ⁣ Notes on names: This is Endocladia muricata. It also answers to sea moss and nail brush; Endocladia works for for me. Other names of note here- a bit of Mazzaella parksii and Fucus, they’re both yellowish-green, and a lot of barnacles too, mostly acorn barnacles, Balanus glandula.⁣ ⁣ Notes on zones: Endocladia is a mainstay in the mid- to high intertidal. I rate this scene high intertidal. You’ll see Endocladia in the mussel beds too. Its connection with Balanus and Mytilus is strong.⁣ ⁣ Notes on identification: Look for short spines on the branches. Wiry and black when dry.⁣ ⁣ #intertidal #pnw #oregoncoast #oregonshores #beaches #seaweed #algae #fbf
Magical Macrocystis, what drift landed you on this shore? . Notes on the name: Macrocystis pyrifera goes by giant kelp, which seems fine, but I feel like Macrocystis is a wonderful common name. Its use won’t confuse because Macrocystis is a monospecific genus. . Natural history notes: Whenever I find a drift mass of Macrocystis on the northern Oregon coast, I wonder where it came from. Trivia: Macrocystis inspires the Monterey Bay Aquarium logo . #intertidal #pnw #oregoncoast #oregonshores #beaches #seaweed #algae #kelp #tbt
Black turban . Notes on names: This image features the black turban, Tegula funebralis. To the left, a thatched barnacle, Semibalanus cariosus, and a dogwinkle, Nucella ostrina. If you’re not familiar with N. Ostrina, they come in a variety of colors and can be striped or unstriped. The little barnacles interspersed throughout the scene are little browns, Chthamalus dalli, well, most of them are. . #intertidal #pnw #oregoncoast #oregonshores #tidepool #pacificshells #fbf
A throwback to low tide just a month ago. In the foreground, two favorites- Phaeostrophion irregulare, known widely as sand-scoured false kelp, and Ahnfeltiopsis linearis, probably. It has no reasonable common name. Both can handle nearly constant sand scouring and are comparatively tolerant of sand burial. The rocks in this scene are buried by sand during the summer months. The rest of the year they are awash in swirling sand. . . . Notes on names: Phaeostrophion irregulare, a brown, is brownish and bladed. Ahnfeltiopsis is a red. I don’t want to give the impression of overconfidence on the ID of that red. There are alternatives. In the past I’ve assumed it’s Ahnfeltiopsis linearis, so I’m going with that for now. Natural history note: I don’t know if this habitat is optimal for this pair, but’s where they are prominent. . #intertidal #pnw #oregoncoast #oregonshores #tidepool #beach #seascape #seaweed #algae #tbt

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Dr. Jeffrey S. Jensen

Senior Lecturer, Division of Biological Sciences, School of STEM, University of Washington, Bothell

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