BAUE Shale Island Project

Objective
Project Management - Main Tasks
Special Tools/Software Used
Project Research
Project Mapping Data
Transects and Species Count
Macro shots of the surrounding area
Links to Video and Photos
Project Participants

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Objective:

The objective of the Shale Island Project was to expand our group capacity to explore and document off-shore sites from a boat, while using more complex and sophisticated strategies for collecting data and documentation information.

The site we chose for this endeavor was easily accessible by charter boat, requiring only a short (10 minute) ride from the loading dock in Monterey to the target location, a half mile north of Del Monte Beach.  Shale Island is a distinct underwater plateau, whose flat top sits 6- 8 feet off of the surrounding sandy bottom of the ocean floor at a depth of approximately 60 ft.  The structure forms an oblong shape, 400 ft long and 120ft across at its widest section.

Building upon the skill base we established on our previous group project, we added a few components to our data collection process.  We implemented the use of specified quadrants for a more accurate study of fish and marine life.  We also combined a GPS tracking technique with dynamic underwater video footage taken while scootering.

Preliminary project dives on the site indicated that the structure was too large for an in-depth study of the island in its entirety to be completed as a one-day event.  Therefore, we targeted a specific area for focused study, on the west side of the plateau.

The teams followed a dive sequence created to maximize our data collection efforts.  The first team of scooter divers completed the GPS/survey-video sweep of the island before additional divers entered the water.  The next team, the ‘set-up’ divers, established the designated study area, by laying lines for use by the photo documentation and species counting teams.  Some of these divers used 3 X 3 ft quadrant markers to delineate areas of study.

In addition to the divers in the data collection target area, we devoted two teams to explore the remaining portion of the plateau.  These teams gathered GPS coordinates and took photographs of noteworthy structures or features on the site, including a giant anchor, and a few solitary metridiums who inhabit the structure.

Each team conducted two dives on the site.  One of the exploration teams used scooters for the second dive, to explore outlying areas in the vicinity of the plateau.  The final dive of the day was conducted by the set up team, whose final task was to remove all lines and traces of exploration activity.

The results of our project are presented below.  Enjoy!


Project Management - Main Tasks:


Special Tools/Software Used

Garmin GPS housed in a waterproof container
RIFFE float
Software (GPS sofware, Global Mapper)
Transects (Size - 3x3, two plastic lengths, 2 string lengths)

Project Research

Powerpoint presentation on the geology of Shale Island (MS PowerPoint)

Research completed by Anibal Mata-Sol - Science Director.

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Project Mapping Data

GPS Track Image 1 (click on the video track camera to launch the movie)






Transects and Species Count

Team: Jason, Sandra, and Dionna

Identifying area & picture	Species	Clickable thumbnail
Section 1, Photo 8,9	Lower right 25% covered in common algae Lower 30% covered in corynactis 1 spiny scallop 2% coverage of yellow staghorn bryzoan 1 blood star 1 bat star 1 ring top snail 1 Cadlina lueteomarginata
Section 2, Photo 10	2 Cadlina lueteomarginata pink and orange encrusting sponge in center of transect – 10% coverage Right 30% covered in common Algea Lower 50% covered in corynactis Entire general area covered in clam holes 1 visible geoduck clam 1 coonstripe shrimp
Section 3, Photo 13,14,15	Lower right 25% had most visible life Pink correline algae 1 Peltodoris nobilis iridescent algae beside nudibranch orange cup coral surrounding algae orange encrusting sponge 10% coverage
Section 4, Photo 18, 19	Entire bottom 50% covered by moss animal hydroid Border of entire square transect ringed by corynactis Center 10% covered in pink encrusting sponge 1 Doris montereyensis small clump of yellow staghorn bryzoan beside nudibranch top 30% covered with moss animal hydroid and yellow staghorn sponge 1 piddock clam and 1 horseneck clam next to each other
Section 5, Photo 25, 26	Corraline sculpin 10% algae coverage in lower right corner 40% total yellow staghorn bryzoan 5 piddock clams pink encrusting sponge 5% corynactus 5% coverage 1 purple urchin 1 blood star
Section 6, Photo 29, 30, 31	1 small decorator/kelp crab 30% coverage corynactus 1 jewel top snail 10% coverage yellow zooanthids near corynactis 5% yellow sponge coverage common algae in center <5% coverage pink encrusting sponge <5% coverage	Photo 29, 31
Section 7, Photo 33, 34, 35	1 blood star 1 scalyhead sculpin 10% coverage of pink correline algae orange cup corals <5% coverage 50% coverage common algae **water column near transect 7 and 8** 1 medium sized lingcod, column of about a dozen fish including vermilion, copper, blue and kelp rockfish
Section 8,  Photo 38	Generally empty with exception of clam hole filled with algae 1 orange cup coral small group of aggregating nipple sponges
Section 9, Photo 45, 46	This transaction section is where the line starts (blue weight marker) 10% coverage of staghorn bryzoan 50% moss animal hydroid 20% corynactis
Section 1, Photo 49, 50	1 orange puffball sponge 1 blackeyed goby 1 romquill 20% common algae coverage	Photo 50 Dive 2 begins here. We did a couple of different transect areas past the start of the line and then went back to the previously counted areas.
Section 2, Photo 54, 55	1 Peltodoris nobilis several tribellid worms 10% pink encrusting sponge 5 piddock clams surrounding nudibranch 20% orange encrusting sponge with corynactis growing on sponge 10% staghorn bryzoan coverage

Team: Clinton and Andy

Identifying area	Description	Clickable Thumbnail
Line 1, Transect 3	White Volcano Sponge - < 5% (1 small colony :right edge, middle, on line) Finger Sponge - < 5% (1 small colony :top edge, middle) White Chalky Sponge - < 5% (1 small colony :top edge, middle next to  Cystodytes lobatus) Unknown Tube Worms - 20-30 (mostly top right corner) Chaceia ovoidea - 4 Peltodoris nobilis - 1 Corynactis californica - 35% Metridium senile - 10% Heteropora pacifica - 5% Bugula californica? - 5% Pisaster giganteus - 1 Henricia leviuscula - 2 Unknown Tunicate  - < 5% (1 small colony :left edge) Cystodytes lobatus? - < 5% (1 colony : top edge, middle) Red Algae - 15% Encrusting Coralline Algae - 5%

Various macro shots surrounding the transect area

Team: Mark and Kresimir

Description	Thumbnail
Scalyhead sculpin Artedius harringtoni
Unknown
Blue Ringed Topsnail Calliostoma annulatum
Red Octopus Octopus rubescens
Sea Anemone and unknown crab Corynactus californicus
Gopher Rockfish Sebastes carnatus
Peltodoris nobilis
Tritonia festiva
unknown tunicate
Triopha catalinae

Link to all video and pictures taken, including surface pictures:

Shale Island Photos

Shale Island Video

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 Project Participants:

Name	Roll
Beto Nava	Scooter, survey, Video, project organizer
Susan Bird	Scooter, survey, project support, project organizer
Nick Radov	Project support
Suzanne Baird	Survey, project support
Brian Gilpin	Project support
Gary Banta	Scooter, project support
Anibal Mata-Sol	Scooter, survey, project support, science director
Paul Lee	Scooter, survey
Jason Warshawsky	Photographer, project support
Sandra Tullis	Project support, species count
Dionna House	Photographer, species count, project support
Clinton Bauder	Photographer, project organizer
Mike Jimenez	Photographer
Andy Mrozek	Scooter, survey, project support, surface video
Mark Lloyd	Photographer, webmaster
Kresimir Mihic	Project support
Jim Capwell	Boat Captain
Abigail Kennedy	Surface director
Eric Larsen	Boat Captain