Biological Dredge

Station: BioDredge / Rock Pile
Date: 10/09/2015, 9:51 am
Conditions: sunny, no wind, 94°F
Latitude: 33.675° to 33.674° N
Longitude: 118.221° to 118.226° W

Sediment Desc: Gravel to cobble sized rocks = siltstones& basalt = ?))

Kelp does not put down roots in the sediments on the seafloor. Instead, it anchors itself onto rocks. Many organisms make these rocks their own. The area on the San Pedro shelf called the "Rock Pile" is where the coastline used to be 10,000 years ago. As the planet warmed and the ice sheets melted, sealevels rose, covering this rocky coastline with seawater.

Below are some pictures of the organisms we collected during this biodredge. All creatures were returned to the ocean.

  • Polychaete Worm
  • Hermit Crab
  • Sand Crab
  • Red Rock Shrimp
  • Red Rock Shrimp
  • Tube Shrimp
  • Bat Star
  • Brittle Star
  • Sand Star
  • White Urchin
  • Whelk eggs that had been laid inside a large clamshell
  • Cone Snail
  • Brown Cowrie (top)
  • Brown Cowrie (bottom)
  • Kellet's Whelk (top)
  • Kellet's Whelk (bottom)
  • Wentletrap
  • Puffball Sponge