I visited McNeill Bay on April 13th, 2022, from 18:42 to 20:10pm when the tides were almost at their lowest for the day, allowing for my exploration of the rocky beach and intertidal zone ecosystems along the water. It was approximately, 8°C and it was mostly cloudy out with the sunset happening around 20:01. Mcneill Bay was established in 1843 and named after Captain William Henry McNeill (master of a Hudson’s Bay Company steamer the ‘SS Beaver’). McNeill Bay is a beautiful rocky beach off the Salish Sea in my home of Oak Bay near Victoria, Vancouver Island.
Figure 1. McNeill Bay google maps view with regions of interest.
The drastically changing nature of intertidal zone ecosystems is what piqued my interest in using McNeill Bay for the data collection of my final research project. Tide heights at McNeill Bay can vary over 4 metres from low to high tide points, which means all of the residential organisms (i.e. barnacles, crabs, seaweed, sea anemones, etc.) have to be able to adapt to these changes and survive the extreme weather.
The first thing I noticed when I first climbed down the stairs to the beach was the “ADVISORY WARNING” sign on the sea wall which stated that “water from this outfall may be subject to pollution. Water tests indicate high levels of bacteria which may pose a risk to your health.” I was curious the role or effect that this drainage might play in the levels of barnacles or seaweed on rocks compared to other parts of this beach where the drainage was not present.
Figure 2. First drainage site with pollution sign.
There were two large rocks about 10m down from the drainage site which I have pictured below. There were barnacles and seaweed on the lower levels of both rocks however they were relatively small (both height and width). The seaweed layer was green but quite thin and sporadically placed.
Figure 3. First two rocks directly south of the first drainage sight with barnacles and seaweed.
About 75m down the beach was another drainage site however on this one there was no warning sign and the flow seemed to be much higher than the first near the entrance. Most of the water was collecting in a small pool near the drain which would fill and ultimately empty into the ocean. The water which was collecting was quite murky and some foam was collecting from the splashing water.
Figure 4. Second drainage site further west down the beach.
About 150m west down the beach I noticed a third drainage site again with no sign. The flow for this site was much less than the second but higher than the first and would slowly trickle into the ocean.
Figure 5. Third drainage site furthest west down the beach.
Near the end of the bay the rocky beach ends and I climbed up onto some elevated rock which would lead out toward the ocean. On the elevated rock I noticed several tidepools with various small sea creatures including sea anemones, Tidepool sculpins, green algae, and barnacles. There was an increased number of barnacles on the elevated rock, and abundant brown algae as well. I noticed the remains of a crab suggesting the presence of other wildlife possible seagulls.
Figure 6. Barnacles furthest west down the beach on the elevated rock (left), tide-pool example (middle), and crab remains (right) .
Some questions that came up during my first visit:
- Is the biodiversity of the intertidal zone affected by the seawall
- Does the presence of multiple polluting sewer drainage sites influence barnacle health, and/or the abundance of seaweed on rocks?
- Does biodiversity change as I travel west along the beach, further from the multiple drainage sites and seawall?
Figure 7. Field journal from the April 13th trip.
great presentation.
thanks for the images and thoughts
as guidance, be sure to consider how long it will take to measure data that will answer your question – all questions are good ones and some can be answered in the time frame of this course!
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