Deception Pass State Park
May 2014 A monthly newsletter from the desk of the park manager to this park's friends and neighbors
The Pride of Lions Benefits Park Dozens of local Lions roamed the forests and day use areas of Deception Pass on April 19 for Earth Day . Once again, the many Lions Clubs from around Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands gathered together to give a day of service to the park. They were joined by a local scout troop as well. Led by Dennis Bullock, zone chair of the Lions, the group had several projects lined up and prepared ahead of time by Ranger John Whittet so the volunteers could jump into the work when they arrived. With coffee and donuts to get them jump-started at 9 a.m., they then signed up for one of six projects: • Scraping and painting a restroom at West Beach • Rebuilding a trail bridge near campsite 30 • Resetting and solidifying trail fence posts along the North Beach trail • Removing log castles and forts at West Beach • Removing the dirt from around the hundreds of bumper blocks at the West Beach parking lot • Picking up litter throughout half of the park The bridge repairs took the most preparation, as hardware, new stringers and tread boards had to be secured ahead of time. Workers quickly put their combined skills and experience to use as they got into the mud and muck to remove the old foundation stringers for the bridge, install new stringers, and then add the tread boards. The final result is magnificent. Down to bare earth, or Cleaning the parking mud, as the rotten stringers lot bumper blocks took are removed.
Before and after appearances of the trail footbridge perseverance in scraping each block of accumulated sand and vegetation and hauling it away. The parking lot looks almost brand new again now! They scraped the restroom and painted most of the insides; a family had fun removing the driftwood forts at the beach; several volunteers made sure the fence along the North Beach trail is secure again. So much took place it was hard to keep track of everything going on, but the teamwork was amazing. Park Ranger Shook was our hands-on coordinator for the day, assisted by Jessy Osterloh. When lunch time came, the Lions had a hot dog and hamburger Eric Brooks and his family spread worthy of any assist in cleaning the parkgrand picnic day, in spite of the slightly in- ing lot block by block clement weather. Together, the Lions and Scouts contributed over 330 hours of work in just one morning. We are so grateful that the Lions take pride in our park and make it a much better place for our visitors.
Slow Motion Beach Wreck
Focus on Hope Rain may have threatened, but once again the annual Hope Island Scotch Broom removal party whittled away at the offending weed under dry skies. It poured as we headed out there, and it rained as we returned, but that just made the soil softer for pulling out the little ones. A dozen hardy volunteers rode the Island Whaler out to Hope Island, where we spent two hours cutting and pulling and improving the wild meadows of the south side of the island. A hearty thank you to Susan Alaynick, Strand and Pat Wedul, Annie Towles, Harold Mead and Maggie Volunteer Let Curvers Sullivan, Tom and Eliza- looks back on a pile of beth Richards, Let Curvers Scotch Broom she reand Jay Scott, Jim Duem- moved from a meadow on mel, and anyone else I Hope Island. may have missed. Hope Island is designated as a Natural Area Preserve, the only area in Deception Pass State Park given the highest level of protection the state system offers. That is an additional incentive to proactively restore the meadows if we possibly can. Many thanks and a huge debt of gratitude to Brett Ginther and Terica Taylor, owners of Deception Pass Tours and the Island Whaler, for their generosity in donating two trips out to the island, their time preparing and running the boat, and the gas to operate the boat. It made it possible to get everyone out to the island in one trip, instead of the hour or more of time it used to take me to make four or five trips each way with our small park boat. (Visit www.Deceptionpasstours.com) Each year we see improvements there, and each year we see new Scotch Broom rising up to try to reclaim the meadows. The battle is bringing slow but steady progress in places. Several of the participants suggested strongly that we need to do more trips than once a year, however, to reclaim the island from the Scotch Broom invasion.
April 25 was a sunny day with a steady breeze off the Strait towards West Beach. Neighbors to the south of the park were surprised that day to see a houseboatlike structure floating in from the strait towards their beach. They called the Coast Guard, who at first did not believe them that it was not being driven by anyone. It was empty, though. And How it looked when it first it landed on the beach came ashore before the Coast Guard responded. When they did, it was no longer their jurisdiction, but the Army Corps of Engineers. Unfortunately, they did nothing that afternoon either. That night, the wind blew. On Saturday, the structure had no structure left as the wind and waves had strewn the metal sheeting over a wood frame building on top of the barge into a half-mile of debris. The styrofoam supporting the barge also began to break apart. Several neighbors took it upon themselves to begin cleaning up the mess, getting the pieces above the high tide line. The size of the structure made this an over-
The next day. The pieces are now spread far and wide across West Beach at the park. whelming task, however. With each successive tide, the remaining pieces floated onto the park side of the property lines, where pieces of the structure now reside. We are employing volunteers and park staff to clean up what we can, as we also entreat other government agencies to please give us a hand at removing this mess from the beach. Fortunately it was stripped clean by its owner so that there are no hazardous materials other than tar-laden roofing and now a million pill-sized pieces of styrofoam. One piece of the building had a customer order number on it. We are working through the roofing company to track down the original owner. Please be cautious if you visit West Beach, as the metal is sharp and their are many nails and other unsafe materials on the beach right now.
Deception Pass Tours boat that brought the volunteers to Hope Island and back. Thank you!
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The Merry Mollusks of Rosario Beach
level of classification after the Kingdom. Examples of Kingdoms include animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi. Examples of Phyla include Chordates (animals with spinal chords, gills, and tails at some point in their development), Arthropods (with hard exoskeletons, segmented bodies, and jointed legs) and Mollusks (animals having a mantle, radula, and nervous system). Animals can be further classified into classes, such as mammals, crustaceans, and gastropods. The more levels of classification, the more similar are the organisms within the smallest level. What makes a mollusk? Mollusks are a huge and diverse phylum but these three things can be found in some form in most mollusks: a mantle, a radula (except in Bivalves), and a nervous system. The mantle can be hard, like a snail shell, or soft and muscular, like an octopus. The mantle always protects the mollusk’s soft inner organs and gills. The radula is a muscular organ covered with small teeth and is very rough. The radula is how mollusks scrape their food out of shells or off of rocks or tear food in to pieces. The nervous system ranges from very simple as in chitons and snails, to quite complex, as in octopuses and squid. While visiting the tide pools, one can spot many fascinating mollusks. I found one of my favorites stuck to the side of the rocks, trundling along at about 66 feet per year near the low tide line. It looked rather like a lump of rock, or possibly a meatloaf. This animal was brown, leathery, and about the size of a loaf of bread. Known as the “Wandering Meatloaf” or the Gumboot Chiton, this critter eats algae, can live more than 20 years, and can breathe out of water! Seeing them outside on a bright sunny day like this is rather rare: while they don’t have eyes, they are sensitive to the light. Gumboot chitons are unique because they have a big muscular structure called a girdle that covers the eight protective plates on their back (the mantle). Most other chitons have girdles that wrap around the bottom of the chiton, but leave these plates exposed. Chitons make up their own class, the Polyplacophora (meaning many plates – all chitons have eight). They are very common and easily spotted if you know what to look for.
By Jessy Osterloh, Park Interpretive Intern The animals of the intertidal zone often look like alien creatures, so foreign to most of us landdwellers. Animals without eyes, ears, or brains graze on algae, zooplankton and small invertebrates of the cold Salish Sea waters. Some are ancient creatures, unchanged in 500 million years. These animals come in all colors, shapes, sizes, and textures. There are the purple or orange sea stars with radial symmetry. There are the dime-sized anemones and the softballsized anemones. There are octopuses, limpets, barnacles, urchins, sea cucumbers, and chitons. There are all the things they eat and all the things that eat them. Indeed, under the salty surface is another world, and the intertidal zone is one place where our terrestrial world and the marine world meet. The most numerous of these underwater aliens are the mollusks, an incredibly diverse class of animals including chitons, limpets, mussels, octopuses, and many others!
How many animals can you name in the picture above? (List at the end of this article – did I miss any or get anything wrong?) Quick note about classification: Perhaps you remember the classification system from biology: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species. The category Phylum is the second major 3
have a hinged shell (the mantle), lack a brain but have a basic nervous system. Bivalves are an exception in the mollusk phylum because they have no radula. Mussels and their relatives are filter feeders, so they eat plankton and other microscopic sea life that floats through their gills and into their stomach – sounds easier than scraping algae off of rocks to me! Mussels are eaten by other mollusks, crabs, ducks, fish, oystercatchers, gulls, and a variety of other animals. They are also an important food source for sea stars, so it is encouraging to see so many mussels on the rocks of Rosario Beach!
A Gumboot Chiton at Rosario Beach, image taken April 2014 by Jessy Osterloh Another frequently-sighted mollusk at Rosario is the limpet. Limpets have conical shells (the mantle), a radula and a basic nervous system. Like snails, they have a head with two tentacles and an eye on the end of each tentacle. The head and tentacles are retracted into the shell if the limpet sees danger. Like snails, limpets are gastropods. Limpets move slowly across the rocks, scraping algae off with their radula. They move across the same path over and over again, returning to the same place each night, probably by following their mucus trail. This gradually forms a groove in the rock that helps the limpet keep from drying out. When threatened, the limpet grips the rock tightly. Limpets are food for sea stars, other mollusks, birds, and people.
Bay Mussels, image by Dave Cowles, Walla Walla University
For much more information about chitons, gastropods, bivalves, and mollusks: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/species/speciesinfo/ _aknhp/gumboot_chiton.pdf http://shells.tricity.wsu.edu/ArcherdShellCollection/ Chitons/Chitons.html Mussels live in beautiful blue black clusters, atwww.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/ tached strongly to wave-battered rocks using strong invertebrates/gumboot-chiton hairs coated with an amazingly adhesive protein. This structure is known as a byssus. Researchers are studying http://oregontidepools.org/speciesguide/ byssi of bivalves to learn how to make adhesives that are gumbootchiton http://eol.org/pages/403806/details not weakened by water. Mussels represent a class of mollusks called the bivalves. http://www.tulane.edu/~bfleury/diversity/labguide/ Other bivalves include oysters and clams. They mollannel.html A Plate Limpet, image from Deception Pass State Park Photo Library
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http://en.wiHYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Limpet"kHYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Limpet"ipedia.org/wiki/Limpet http://www.arkive.org/common-limpet/pHYPERLINK "http://www.arkive.org/common-limpet/patellavulgata/"aHYPERLINK "http://www.arkive.org/ common-limpet/patella-vulgata/"tella-vulgata/ http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/mussels/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mollusca http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radula http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantle_%28mollusc%29 http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/ biology/rosario/inverts/Mollusca/Bivalvia/Mytiloida/ Mytilidae/Mytilus_trossulus.html http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/ Polyplacophora/ http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/taxa/inverts/mollusca/ polyplacophora.php
Other Interpretive Programs Look for other interpretive programs such as guided hikes and evening campfire programs occurring throughout May. A weekly program schedule will be posted throughout the campgrounds and can be found on the Deception Pass Park Foundation website: www.deceptionpassfoundation.org/events/. The schedule is subject to change without notice. Please call Interpretive Services for more information. (360) 6753767x31
Civilian Conservation Corps Interpretive Center Now Open Daily The Civilian Conservation Corps Interpretive Center at Bowman Bay is open daily from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Stop by to peruse CCC history and artifacts and learn about what it was like to live and work at a CCC camp in Washington State. While at Bowman Bay, check out the two historic CCC picnic shelters currently being restored.
Animals in photo on page 3: Top third of rock from left: Haystack barnacles, leather chiton, more barnacles, another leather chiton, more barnacles, and a limpet. Center, bottom of rock from left: orange sea star (Pisaster ochraceus), Christmas Anemone, purple sea star (also Pisaster ochraceus), sea cucumber, another anemone. Octopuses, octopi, octopodes? What is the plural of octopus, anyway? You will find arguments for all three, but the Oxford English Dictionary prefers octopuses. Octopi tries to make a Greek word look Latin, which it isn’t, although scientific names are in Latin. Octopodes is a Greek way of making a word plural, but it has not caught on here. Call them what you want. They are still a thrill to see here in the park by any name, especially if they are plural!
Beach Naturalists
The Beach Naturalists put in 48 hours of volunteer time at Rosario Beach in April. (A big thank-you to you!) May will be an even busier month for the Beach Naturalists as they will be assisting visiting elementary students in learning about the life of the tide pools. Field trips take place on weekdays throughout May and into June. School groups should arrange their visit to the park with Deception Pass Interpretive Services by _________________________________________ contacting jessica.osterloh@parks.wa.gov or (360) 6753767x31.
Learn How to Become a Junior Ranger! Junior Ranger Programs take place on Saturdays beginning May 17th. Meet at the amphitheater at 1:00 PM for a short activity. Kids will receive an activity book to complete and present at the Initiation Ceremony at 7:00 PM, just before the Campfire Program at the amphitheater. After taking the pledge, new Junior Rangers will receive a special badge. Kids may also present the completed activity book to the Entrance Booth or to a park ranger to earn their Junior Ranger Badge. All kids can participate! 5
An Introduction to Ranger Anderson (And, did she say “yes?” Answer at the end.) ern National Parks. We hit approximately 10 parks in these three weeks. Because of this trip and quite a few others, I can safely say I have been to 24 of the 59 national parks in this country. Yet despite my love of natural beauty and the park systems that protect it, I only recently decided to devote my career to them. After high school I attended San Jose State University with the intentions of getting rich off of business. I graduated San Jose State with a degree in business management and was ready to take on the business world. After applying for jobs in my field of study for a year and touring office after office of cubicles with no windows, I decided I had my priorities mixed up. If my biggest concern was whether or not my cubicle could see a window with at least a view of a tree, I needed to work outside. Right around the time of this realization a friend who was a Park Aide for California State Parks informed me they were hiring and so I took the job. I quickly fell in love with freedom and trust given to you by supervisors and the sense of working for a deeper cause. This was good because the wages were quite the opposite of my original expectations during my college years. In order to afford working for the parks I picked up a second job as a sales associate for The North Face at the local outlet mall. This was a great combination because The North Face encouraged my outdoor exploration and was happy to have a park employee on the team. After working for California Parks for three years I knew I wanted to make a career out of it and becoming a Ranger was the way to go. I put myself through a ranger academy in Santa Rosa, California and loved every minute of it — aside from the minute I was pepper sprayed and the hours after that. I was starting to get worried in the final month of the academy because I had yet to find a job to apply my newly acquired skills. That is when Washington State Parks stepped in. Washington was hiring rangers and wanted us to start as soon as possible. Two weeks after graduation I moved to Washington to start my first job as a Ranger at Seaquest State Park. For those of you not familiar with Seaquest it is a smaller park on the way to Mt. St. Helens. Most of our campers were only staying the night before they explored the volcano the next day. This resulted in a very quiet and peaceful park. I absolutely loved my time working there and the great supervisors and park aides I worked with. I learned a great deal about park maintenance and the
Hello good people of Deception Pass. My name is Nathan Anderson and I am the new seasonal Ranger 2. I have been working at Deception Pass for one month now and have felt very welcomed to my new home. It is a big change for me coming from my home town of Camarillo in sunny Southern California to here but I am enjoying it immensely. This is my second season with Washington State Parks. I worked for California State Parks before this. Here is a quick introduction to my story.
I began my love of the outdoors at a very early age. As a Cub Scout I went on as many camping trips as possible, then as a Boy Scout I learned the true beauty that nature can provide. I traveled many miles with a backpack on my back. I summitted Mt. Whitney at the end of six days on the trail and climbed Half Dome on the final days of an eight day trek. I did multi-day kayaking trips down the Colorado River and got to experience a great array of activities through different summer camps. This was the beginning of my love affair with nature. My parents encouraged this love by taking my two sisters and I on a three week road trip of the west6
Kukutali Opening Close!
details of running a park. Seaquest was a great place to ease into retirement but I was a new ranger and I wanted excitement. I had heard many stories of Deception Pass and the craziness that goes on there and when I saw they were hiring, I quickly jumped at the opportunity. So that is the story that brought me here to Deception Pass. I am now slowly learning all the details that go into running a much larger park and am excited that there is so much more to learn. As my supervisor at
Construction has begun of the small parking lot just off SneeOosh Road for the Kukutali Preserve. This will allow visitors to come directly to the park and walk down from the parking lot, across the tombolo and onto Kiket Island. Private owners have had the island to themselves and invited guests only for almost a century now. With the joint acquisition of the island by Washington State Parks and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community thanks to grants and donations, we will all be owners and invited guests of the property!
Topo map of Kiket Island.. SneeOosh road is on the far right edge of the map. The island will be open only for hiking and human-powered watercraft access. It has three trails leading from one end to the other, allowing hikers to see different sides of the island. At the west end, panoramic viewpoints showcase the Deception Pass area including Skagit Island, Hope Island, Mount Erie to the north and the Deception Pass bridge in the distance to the west. Flagstaff Point, at the far west end of the island, will continue to be off limits to protect the rare lowland meadows found there. In the future, there may be a picnic table or two and maybe a shelter or two on the island, but for now it will be just a place to experience a Salish Sea lowland forest and beach environment as it was, and always has been. I will send an announcement in a special email to Current readers when the gates are finally open. Look for it sometime in the latter part of June!
Seaquest told me; “I’ve been doing this for 15 years and I still don’t know half of the things I should”. Well that was a bit of a paraphrase but you get the idea. I currently live alone but Alice, my girlfriend of five years and soon-to-be fiancé (I am proposing to her when she visits this weekend) will be moving up to join me in June. I am excited to settle in to my new home here at Deception Pass. I hope to be here for a long time. If you have comments or questions please feel free to email me at Nathan.Anderson@parks.wa.gov. I hope to meet all of you over time and look forward to taking care of this amazing park. — Nathan Anderson Ranger 2 [Nathan took Alice to the top of Goose Rock on May 3, pretending it was a geocache hike. They “found” a ring at the top. He proposed. She said “yes”!]
Right: The view of Skagit Island and the Deception Pass area beyond from Kiket Island. 7
Deception Pass Challenge Coming
Happening This Month in the Park:
It’s the 3rd annual Challenge. The Deception Pass Challenge race starts at 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 14. Volunteers will be greatly appreciated, worked hard, and rewarded sumptuously if you like bagels. Consider lending a hand or voice to this fun and crazy event as people swim, bike, and run through the challenging terrain of this amazing park.
Restroom 5 Renovations: The restroom has been revamped on the inside so that it now has individual uni-sex restrooms, two of which have showers, which is a welcome addition for the campers in the nearby sites of the middle loop. Now park staff and working on improving the appearance of the outside of the building so that it too has a rock base reminiscent of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Bowman Shelter Repairs: The lower shelter this time, getting much needed and overdue replacement of the shakes with authentic new shakes, new roof purlins and braces, new windows, and stripping of the chocolate paint to restore the natural beauty of the original wood in this CCC shelter right at the beach. State Park maintenance staff from around the northwest corner of the state spent a week learning from several experts about proven methods of replacing sections of the roof with hisSome of the maintenance torically acceptable staff learning historical methods that retain the methods of log work cut appearance and structure notches in a new roof purlin of the building while extending its life. Unfortunately, the authentic shakes we need to reroof the shelter are coming from cedar trees in Canada, which had a large amount of snow where the trees are located. The shakes will be delivered when they can be delivered to the mill in Washington.
Navy Removes Ivy VAQ 131 of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island came out in force in April to offer a day of service and camaraderie. They pulled together in pulling ivy from the groves of trees near the parking lot at Rosario. These hard working men and women who serve us everyday in other ways served the park by removing several truckloads of the invasive ivy. The project was originally organized by Ranger John Whittet, and then carried out by Ranger Shook and park aide Bertelson. Afterwards they shared a picnic at the nearby shelter.
Other Projects going on at the park: Restroom 6 re-roofed Campsites brushed out Sewer system repairs continue Rosario restroom office wiring underway
Members of VAQ131 load the truck with ivy while another load waits to be added. Thank you to James Goguen for organizing this event and for the men and women who worked hard and had fun.
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Arts in the Parks, and more
Upcoming Community Events
This summer’s schedule of cultural events at the park:
PLANT WALKS SCHEDULE WASHINGTON NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY / ANACORTES PARKS AND RECREATION TUESDAYS, APRIL 1 THROUGH MAY 27 2014 10 a.m. to noon, usually
June 7 – Salish Sea event with the Tribes July 5 -- National Guard Band 5 p.m. July 5 – Crumac – Irish Music July 12 – Rebel Voices – Labor songs with wit & flair July 19 – Hale Bill & the Bopps – Scandinavian July 26 – Quichua Mashis – Andean traditional music
May 6 – Sharpe County Park. Pond, woods rich with mosses and lichens and open bluffs. Easy. Moderate if go to the bluffs. May 13 – Washington Park. A return visit. The park should be in full bloom. Meet in the parking lot by the rest room. Easy.
Concerts start at 7 p.m. at the amphitheater at West Beach unless otherwise noted. Inclement weather may also change the location.
May 27 – Cranberry Lake in Deception Pass State Park. Meet near the vending stands and restrooms on the west side of the lake. Backshore, dunes and other habitat. Easy. Bring a lunch to enjoy later on the beach.
Park Experiences:
Information – Call Ann Dursch, 360-293-3044, Melissa Duffy 679-1255 and 805-827-1556, or Susan Alaynick 360-659-8792 ____________________________________________
Kukutali Tours Call the caretaker at 360-661-0682 to set up a reservation for a two-hour tour of the Kukutali Preserve on a Saturday morning. This is the last month that guided tours will be available, because it opens to the public next month! Tours are free. Reservations are required, as space is limited. Tours start at 9 and 11 a.m.. with space for just 12 people at a time.
Saturday, May 17: Bill McKibben Returns to Bellingham. 3 p.m., PAC Main Stage Read more at http://www.wwu.edu/westernreads/ events/spring.shtml. Tickets are $10 WWU students, $12 general admission and are available at http:// www.tickets.wwu.edu/
Anacortes Kayak Tours Guided kayak tours out of Bowman Bay for everyone. Visit their website at www.anacorteskayaktours.com The AKT is a proud sponsor of the Deception Pass Dash.
Sunday, May 18: Native and Introduced Plants Along Fidalgo Bay & Their Animal Companions. 2:00 PM, Fidalgo Bay Resort - 4701 Fidalgo Bay Rd If you've wondered about the flora and fauna along the shore of the Tommy Thompson Trail, join Trail Tales docents for some plant identification and interesting facts about the animals that use the plants. Some of the plants are native, others were introduced by Coast Salish people and Europeans. More info at www.skagitbeaches.org.
Deception Pass Tours Tours through Deception Pass at sea level! Visit the welcome wagon at the bridge, or their store on Highway 20 north of the park near milepost 44for more information, or check their website at www.deceptionpasstours.com
Saturday, May 24: Fix-It Day. 9 am-2 pm at the Anacortes Farmers' Market. Got a broken appliance you'd like to use again? A lamp that needs attention? Bring in your items for repair; cost is by donation to support Deception Pass State Park. Reduce, Reuse, REPAIR and then Reuse! Sponsored by Transition Fidalgo & Friends.
Academic Adventures Visit the website at www.academicsandadventures.org
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May is "Puget Sound Starts Here" month Gov. Jay Inslee issued a proclamation announcing May as Puget Sound Starts Here Month and encourages all citizens to take action to improve the health of Puget Sound."Things are different now than in the 1970s when the biggest pollution sources were factory pipes dumping sludge into rivers. Today, one of our biggest water pollution problems—rainwater runoff—is something most people don't even think of as being contaminated," said Sheida Sahandy, executive director of Puget Sound Partnership. "We can't point to someone else; the pollution source is us. Our individual and collective actions all add up, for better or for worse. The choice is ours." Here are some ways you can make a difference: • Volunteer to help with local habitat restoration projects. • Take your car to a commercial car wash instead of washing it in your driveway. • Fix auto leaks right away and take any used fluids to a recycling center. • Pick up pet waste and place it in the trash. • Maintain your septic system or side sewer. • Never dump anything – liquid or solid – into a storm drain or drainage ditch. • Use natural yard products like compost and mulch. If you use chemical pesticides and fertilizers, follow the directions and use them sparingly. • Store and dispose of household chemicals according to the instructions on the label. • Landscape your yard with native plants and trees that soak up rain and slow the flow of runoff. • Boaters can protect valuable habitat by using pump-out stations for their sewage, using caution in eelgrass areas, and being cautious when fueling and cleaning their vessel.
“Ecosystem decay" What do American shad, North Pacific spiny dogfish, Pacific Ocean perch, buff-breasted sandpipers, and Baird's beaked whales have in common? They're all new members of a group of 119 species that are listed as threatened or endangered, or are candidates for listing, by one of the four governments that oversee the Salish Sea: Canada, the United States, British Columbia, and the State of Washington. Since 2002, the SeaDoc Society has been tracking the species that get listed in the Salish Sea. At the time, it was groundbreaking to make a list that included species of concern in both Canada and the United States. Approximately every two years, we update the list. Unfortunately, it just keeps getting bigger. The number of species at risk has just about doubled in the past decade. In addition to the five species that were newly found to be at risk, another 10 other species were placed on the list because scientists learned that their range includes the Salish Sea. Fortunately, 9 species have been delisted. More species are listed in Canada than in the US, but species listed by the United States federal government receive a higher level of protection than species listed by the Canadian government. The report makes clear that the Salish Sea is suffering from ecosystem decay. It calls on the United States and Canada to work together to stop the decline. The report, co-authored by Joe Gaydos and SeaDoc intern Jacqlynn Zier, was presented at the 2014 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. Read the full report: http://www.seadocsociety.org/publication/species-of-concern-2013/ 10
Point The waters under the pass made the cover of Science magazine this month, as part of a focus article on the sea star wasting disease. The blurb for the article states: COVER A blood star (Henricia leviuscula) near Whidbey Island, Washington state. It is one of 10 species of sea star that appear to be affected by a mysterious wasting syndrome on the west and east coasts of North America. Various levels of mortality have been confirmed in 10 other species, making this the largest documented die-off of echinoderms. Photo: Jan Kocian
___________________________ This monthly update is sent to folks who have expressed an interest in keeping in touch with what is happening or in the planning stages at Deception Pass State Park. We are grateful to have you welcome us into your inbox. If you are not interested in receiving these monthly updates, please reply to this message and let me know. We have no intention of sending emails that you do not wish to receive. If you wish to communicate at anytime with me or other park staff, please email, call, or visit us. This park is your park.
Photographer Jan Kocian’s photo highlights the beauty so close to us that goes unseen without people like him sharing their experiences. An excerpt of a note Jan sent me: Just to let you know that two of the photographs in this magazine were taken at the Pass. Funny, since the cover photo is showing a Blood star which is not actually wasting away, but being nibbled on by a mollusk [see article on page 3 in this Current!], and the one in the article was from last year, long before the wasting took on residence on Whidbey. To update you on the situation here on the island, although it looked as if the wasting syndrome stopped in March, last few dives in April are showing increase in mortality again. So I will keep an eye on it.
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Park Manager Deception Pass State Park 41020 State Route 20 Oak Harbor, WA 98277 360-675-3767 ext. 26 jack.hartt@parks.wa.gov ♼
Current Tides: Cornet Bay vicinity http://www.protides.com/ washington/604