Yaquina Bay Invasive Tunicate Survey - April 19, 2010

On Monday, April 19, 2010 a team of divers from the Oregon Coast Aquarium conducted an invasive tunicate survey at Yaquina Bay, Oregon.  Three buddy pairs dove at the Embarcadero Marina.  Two pairs surveyed docks and boat hulls while the third pair examined the breakwater jetty wall.  On the breakwater an invasive bryozoan Watersipora subtorquata was found at 18 to 25 foot depths.  The Watersipora was strongly present at the east end of the breakwater and lightened westward.  Perhaps a 100 foot section of the breakwater wall was surveyed.  The invasive tunicate Botrylloides violaceus was also noted at the breakwater.

Before the dive Lorne Curran led a classroom session on invasive tunicate identification.


Dive team present:  Aquarium staff members Vallorie Hodges and Jim Burke.  Aquarium volunteers Jim and Chris Pendergrass, Lorne Curran, Ian Chun, aquarist Brittany and John Estabrook.