Top 3 Stories of 2019
Urchins devouring kelp off the southern Oregon coast was the top News post on our website this year. Take a look at a few of the other top stories from 2019. Read More
Tag: invertebrates
Video: 2019 Year in Review
We’re taking a look back at 2019. Check out these video highlights from hook-and-line surveys, underwater video research, SCUBA divers in action, and juvenile fish research and more at Oregon’s marine reserve sites. Read More
A Prickly Problem with Sea Urchins
Beneath the waves, once towering kelp beds are collapsing from an unprecedented perfect storm that has been brewing below the surface. First, a massive epidemic wiped out sea stars, then a marine heatwave and El Niño, and now an explosion of sea urchins. Read More
Student Snapshots Diving Into Nearshore Research
From lingcod life histories and juvenile Dungeness crab genetics, to coralline algae signaling and sea star wasting disease – student research provides invaluable contributions to nearshore ocean and marine reserves science. Read More
Intertidal Survey Series: The Doctor Is In
Like a doctor diagnosing a disease, learn how we identify the signs of Sea Star Wasting Syndrome. Read More
Mind-Bending Mollusks of the Intertidal Zone
Mollusks have evolved a stunningly effective feeding structure called a radula: a ribbon-like tongue covered with rows of rock-hard, razor-sharp teeth. Read More
Sea Stars: Tigers of the Tidepools
A few years ago Oregon’s intertidal zone was stacked with sea stars. Their brilliant bodies splashing red, orange, and purple color across rock surfaces when the tide receded. Now, fewer tidepools are brightened by these critters since the outbreak of sea star wasting syndrome occurred along the West Coast.
Strange Creatures Cast Ashore: Velella Velella
In winter and spring, Oregon’s beaches can turn a vivid hue of purplish blue thanks to the invertebrate Velella velella. Also known as “By-the-Wind Sailor,” they are a living blue boat at the mercy of the winds. Storms blow these odd creatures with melodious names ashore, stranding them in uncountable numbers. Read More
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
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