Group of Citizen Scientists and Project Watershed collaborate on Forage Fish Study.

December 15, 2019

A group of citizen scientists (Mark Kelly, Alsoon Brine, Rob McCreary and Cath Gray) accompanied Bill Heath from Project Watershed to sample 5 beaches (Shingle Spit, Phipps, Fossil Beach, Tribune and Whaling Station) for the presence of eggs from pacific sand lance and surf smelt that lay their tiny eggs in the sand. These forage fish are important to the recovery of marine species at risk (from Humpback and Killer whales to Marbled Murrelets); the marine survival of salmon (such as Chinook and Coho); and the survival of provincially blue-listed coastal cutthroat trout. Both Chinook and Coho feed on sand lance both as juveniles and as adults. The samples we collected will be examined under a microscope to see if there are any eggs present. We will keep you posted!

(Photos Cath Gray, Sand Lance photo by Mandy Lindeberg, NOAA)