Blog Post 1: Site selection and observations
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 2022.
Time of Visit: 1430-1600.
Location: Sheltered lagoon region, to the west side of Goose Spit Regional Park. 49.6653° N, 124.9016° W. The lagoon region roughly encompasses 2 square km. The spit itself is a regional park managed by the Comox Valley Regional District. The lagoon is one unique section considered as part of the Courtenay Estuary that includes 13 km of shoreline.
Weather during Visit: Sunny, warm, with occasional cool breeze. Mostly clear skies with sparse cirrus clouds. My phone indicates a current temperature of 50 with winds blowing north at 6.5mph.
General Observations: The tide is out at the time of my visit. The lagoon consists of a gentle sloping shallow coastline. The water is calm. Sail boats are parked within the lagoon. Upper shoreline contains of a man made gravel pathway of which regular pedestrian traffic is witnessed throughout my visit. The gravel pathway is bordered by regions of grass on either side. Closer to the waters edge are large areas of muddy sediment interspersed with pebbles and various sea creatures, along with empty shells.
Areas of interest: Note that all pictures were taken by myself during the visit on March 5th, 2022 using my personal Iphone.
1. There is a distinct region of vegetation that exists below the high tide waterline. Curious as to why this has formed in this way and what role it plays in the lagoon ecosystem.
Similar grass species is also found surrounding the Brooklyn Creek tributary that feeds into the Courtenay Estuary within the lagoon region.
- There are various tidal pools that are found throughout the tidal flats and within the grassy section. It would be interesting to understand the roles that tidal pools play in supporting the ecosystem of the lagoon, including what organisms are supported within such tidal pools. Perhaps comparing the different locations relative to the shoreline to see if different regions incorporate different species. This seems especially relevant as the pathway often taken by people walking through the region cuts through grassy areas where tidal pools are located. Knowing the importance of such pools would help to shed some light on the potential destructive nature of heavy pedestrian traffic in the area.
- At the treeline that borders the lagoon exists a range of trees and vegetation including Sitka Spruce and Nootka Rose. The most striking feature in this area however appears to be the amount of English Ivy that encircles the surrounding vegetation. There appears to be a significant invasion of this area by English Ivy. On walking through the pathways leading to the lagoon I noticed multiple flyers advertising for an invasive Ivy pull. The ivy has also made its way to the driftwood that has washed up along the shoreline. I would be interested in researching the negative impacts of this invasive ivy and why it is imperative to be controlled.
