The boat crew conducted a benthic video survey along Bullock Reach, Edgewood, and Sabin transects on June 14, 2022. Scale lasers were used in the footage, separated by 29 cm. Visibility through the water column varied at each site from poor to fair. The bottom of all sites was characterized by sands and muds, with a few boulders and cobbles. Dense patches of shell hash and rubble were also observed frequently at Bullock Reach and Sabin. Algal coverage was diverse this week. Sabin experienced particularly dense coverage by Ulva, red sheet-like algae, and branching algae. Bullock Reach was dominated by sparse filamentous algae, while Edgewood was also dominated by Ulva and branching species. Infaunal activity was moderate (higher activity at Edgewood); large burrows, likely from mantis shrimp (Squilla), and some small burrows were present. Assemblages of small tube-building fauna were also common at all sites but more frequent at Edgewood. General biotic activity was moderate as noted by frequent tracks and trails (especially at Edgewood and Bullock Reach). Rare benthic video sights included horseshoe crabs spotted at Sabin and Edgewood, as well as moon snail eggs at Sabin, and a winter flounder at Bullock Reach. Common observations consisted of Nassariid mudsnails (Bullock Reach), slipper snail Crepidula (all sites), spider crabs (all sites, photo below), hermit crabs (all sites), boring sponges (all sites), channeled whelk (Bullock Reach and Sabin), soft-shell clam mya (Bullock Reach and Edgewood), blue crab (Edgewood), and egg masses produced by the lugworm Arenicola (all sites). Edgewood had what appeared to be amphipod tubes, though not at mat-like densities.
Please note: this blog publication has been post-dated to retain chronological order as a backlog of video footage is reviewed.
