Two Barges on the Coos River, Oct 25, 2010

Five scientific divers from the Oregon Coast Aquarium inspected two barges for invasive tunicates on the Coos River on October 25th, 2010.    Because the barges were suspected of hosting the invasives, the owners had towed them eight miles up the Coos River to soak in fresh water.   This inspection was to check on the results of the two-weeks of fresh water soaking.

USFS Invasive Tunicate Survey: The Triangle-Winchester Bay, OR 9-28-2010 & 9-29-2010

Underwater surveys for invasive tunicates of the Triangle at Winchester Bay were undertaken by a USFS team of scientific divers on Sept. 28 and 29, 2010. They searched specifically for the non-native colonial tunicate Didemnum vexillum. D. vex has the potential to establish large colonies on firm natural or artificial surfaces. It can overgrow invertebrate life and make feeding difficult for species that depend on prey that has been smothered.

USFS Mussel Survey: Cleawox Lake, 8-3-2010

Beginning in 2008, scientific divers have been conducting an ongoing US Forest Service underwater survey of lakes along the Oregon coast to note the presence or absence of native Oregon Floater mussels (Anodonta oregonensis). Since the melting of the Ice Age glaciers 6,000–14,000 years ago, these freshwater lakes have been alternately joined and separated due to the changing sea levels, sediment influx and dune formation. They are known as depression lakes because they have formed in depressions in the sand dunes.

D. vex research at the Triangle - July 24th, 2010

Two Oregon Coast Aquarium divers returned to the Triangle, the appropriately named area of protected ocean waters between converging jetty lines at the mouth of the Umpqua River. We know the invasive marine invertebrate Didemnum vexillum to have been established since at least February, and we came in part to do a trial of one possible eradication method.

Invasives Survey at Oregon Oyster Farms - July 10, 2010

A team of Oregon Coast Aquarium scientific divers received a lesson in aquaculture then went in the water at Oregon Oyster Farms, 6878 Yaquina Bay Road, to survey the docks' fouling community.

The operation grows both Pacific and Kumamoto oysters, utilizing old oyster shell as substrate. After allowing oyster spat to recruit on the shells, they are suspended by strings or in bags from floats, or they are broadcast onto the sandy bottom of the river channel. Bottom cultured oysters are later harvested by dredge.

Marina Walkabouts from Coos Bay to Charleston - week of June 28th, 2010

Monday, Lorne Curran walked marinas and boat ramps starting from the town of Coos Bay and ending in Charleston. Thursday, Lorne, Sam Chan, Bruce Hansen, and ODFW biologist Scott Groth collected samples of known Didemnum vexillum colonies and deployed underwater surveillance systems to search for additional colonies.

Yaquina Bay Invasive Tunicates Survey - May 30, 2010

Four divers from the Oregon Coast Aquarium surveyed the southwest tip of the LNG tank peninsula. They found the invasive tunicate Molgula manhattensis growing abundantly on the bottom of the spud barge moored there.