Crabs: Competing and Cooperating at the Ocean’s Edge
Crabs add drama to the intertidal zone. They scurry in and out of rocky crevices in tidepools, and along sandy bottoms beneath the surface of the waves. Read More
Category: Ecology
Strange Creatures Cast Ashore: Salps
Perhaps you’ve seen one of these gelatinous creatures washed up onto one of Oregon’s beaches. Though they resemble jellyfish without tentacles, they belong to a group of animals known as tunicates, commonly called sea squirts. Guest author Stephen Grace shares this story and some of his photos with us. Read More
1,873 Fish and 63 Volunteers
Our annual Fish On! Hook-and-Line Volunteer Newsletter is now out with highlights from our 2017 surveys. Check out the Newsletter for more survey highlights and to learn a bit about our pilot fish tagging study at Redfish Rocks. Read More
Behind Closed Doors: The Sex Life of Barnacles
Patches of barnacles blanket the rocky surfaces in and around Oregon’s marine reserves, and hide fascinating life history secrets. We’ve invited guest author, filmmaker, and photographer Stephen Grace to share his photos and insights on barnacles with us. Read More
2017 SCUBA Survey Highlights
Check out these highlights from our 2017 SCUBA surveys. We conducted 255 transects this year to collect data on fish, kelp, invertebrates, and habitats in shallow rocky reefs at three marine reserve sites. Read More
2017 Year In Review
Oregon’s marine reserves were teeming with discoveries this year. From hypoxia and strange creatures washing up on beaches, to jellyfish blooms, research collaborations with fishermen, and advancements in underwater video research tools. Read More
Sea Anenomes: Deadly Beauties
The sea anemones that paint Pacific Northwest tidepools with color look like tranquil flowers but are, in fact, predatory animals. They are cousins of jellyfish, coral, and siphonophores like the Portuguese man o’ war. Read More
Rise of the Jellyfish
Like nettle plants on land, Pacific sea nettles can leave a similar sting. Recently, ODFW habitat researchers ran into swarms of them while doing acoustic surveys south of the Cascade Head Marine Reserve. Check out the video. Read More
SMURFing Weeks 21-22: That’s a Wrap!
SMURFing is complete for 2017. All moorings have been pulled out and we’ve got some final counts for the season. Read More
SMURF Weeks 17-20: It’s Been Rough
As the SMURFing season winds down, the team has faced some last minute challenges in sampling the SMURFs at both the Otter Rock and Redfish Rocks sites. Read More