Esquimalt Lagoon clean-up 2013

In first year Marine Science, we are currently studying oceanic circulation and the garbage patches that exist within the major oceanic gyres. One way that we thought we could have a positive impact was by collecting garbage from a local beach and preventing it from adding to the problem in the North Pacific gyre.

On Thursday 24 January and Friday 25 January first year marine scientists did a beach clean-up at Esquimalt Lagoon.

 D block, Thursday

 B block, Friday

 We sorted and quantified what we found…

and the data are summarized below for Thursday 24 January:

Type of garbage	Number
Styrofoam bits	147
Plastic pieces	413
Straws / stirrers	41
Caps, lids	93
Coffee cups	6
Coffee cup lids	5
Plastic utensils	11
Lollipop sticks	6
Food wrappers	44
Plastic beverage bottles	13
Glass beverage bottles	2
Bags	12
Balloons	5
Rope	22
Nets	2
Cigarettes / filters	7
Tobacco packs / wrappers	7
Lighters	4
Syringes	1
Tampons / applicators	21
Clothing	3
Shoes	2
Shotgun shells	55
Toys	8
Pen	4
Wood	3
Beverage cans	2
Ball	3
Ceramic bowl	1
Hanger	2
Comb	5
Glowstick	1
Ear plug	2
Golf tee	1
Mussel disc	2
Sunglasses case	1
Hair elastic	1

and for Friday 25 January:

Type of garbage	Number
Styrofoam bits	Infinite!
Plastic pieces	216
Straws / stirrers	24
Caps, lids	46
Coffee cups	4
Coffee cup lids	3
Plastic utensils	9
Lollipop sticks	9
Food wrappers	35
Plastic beverage bottles	6
Glass beverage bottles	2
Bags	1
Balloons	2
Rope	16
Nets	1
Cigarettes / filters	30
Tobacco packs / wrappers	13
Lighters	1
Syringes	1
Tampons / applicators	12
Clothing	3
Shoes	1
Shotgun shells	19
Toys	13
Fishing floats & pieces	16
Fireworks	3
Beverage cans	2
Wood	2
Elastic band	1
Light bulb	2
Duct tape	5
Glow stick	1
Golf balls	3
Ear plug	1
Metal hoop	1
Desiccant packet	1

Students brought some of the garbage back to Pearson College and produced some works of art with a message.

Pedder Bay sunrise – 30 January 2013

Bald eagle feeding on cormorant

While walking down to the floating building yesterday at about 8:30 am, I saw a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) sitting on the rocks just below the director’s lawn. Initially the eagle flew away into the trees but shortly after it returned to the rock where a gull was exploring.

The gull was scared away.

The bald eagle then went to retrieve a cormorant carcass from the rock to the left…

But before the eagle could start feeding another bald eagle landed on the rock.

Eventually the second eagle left and the first eagle feasted.

The images below show all that remained of the eagle’s meal:

Double-crested cormorant necropsy

Yesterday afternoon, Théa spotted a dead Double crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) laying on the ground beside the flagpole on the director’s lawn.

Based on the damage to the neck and chest we suspect predation by a peregrine falcon.

This morning we did a necropsy on the cormorant and were particularly impressed with the heart and the trachea & bronchi.

Deep Sea costumes 2013

Another motley crew of deep sea creatures assembled in the floating lab this week…

This year’s specimens included:

 An anglerfish Barreleye fish   Fanfin anglerfish  Firefly squid Giant grenadier Giant isopod Hatchetfish Pram bug amphipod Prince Axel’s Wonderfish Stoplight loosejaw fishTube eye fish

And  others…

Pedder Bay sunrise – 15 January 2013

Sunrise 15 Jan 13

Where are they now? – Lee Qi

Lee Qi (PC 35, Singapore) was part of the very first cohort of students in Marine Science at Pearson College.

 Lee Qi (third from the left) at Pedder Bay Marina in April 2010.

 And in the yellow jacket participating in a sea lion necropsy in September 2009.

After her two years at Pearson College, Lee Qi went on to study Marine Science at the University of Miami. She is currently a junior there and also the co-president of the University of Miami Scuba Club.

 

She has had several fascinating marine science experiences in the past two and a half years:

 Lee Qi (in the middle) diving with a full face mask at Little Salt Spring as part of her Research Diving course.

 In 2011 she volunteered to help rehabilitate stranded pilot whales. Lee Qi is second from the right in the photo above.

 She also travelled to Panama to do a course in Coastal Management. Students in the class were testing the suitability of various beaches for turtle nesting – here is Lee Qi, sporting Pearson College and Race Rocks gear, on one of those beaches.

Lee Qi’s extended essay (EE), completed while she was a student at Pearson, was recently published in the  journal ‘Nature in Singapore’ and can be found by clicking the link below:

THE CRAB FAUNA OF THREE SEAGRASS MEADOWS IN SINGAPORE:
A PILOT STUDY

Next semester Lee Qi is traveling to the Galapagos Islands as part of a marine science study abroad program. No doubt she’ll have many amazing adventures there and we hope she’ll keep us posted!