Low tide on Tongue Point

I wanted to try to visit Tongue Point during a low tide this spring.  This basalt outcrop (part of the Crescent Formation) is generally a pretty popular and heavily impacted tide-pooling area, but I figured that since the adjacent campground has been shut down, it might have reduced some of the pressure on the intertidal community.  I made the trip with McHenry and Theo as an alternative to the usual at-home schooling we are doing, and we ended up spending most of our time here.  This is a bit of what we were able to see in an hour or so of rooting around. 

Carnivorous Nucella sp. (Dog Whelk) and eggs

Adult Pisaster ochraceous, the only one we observed

Halosaccion grandiforme (Sea Sac!), a super widely distributed red algae

A rosette of Pollicipes polymerus (Goose barnacles)

Anthopleura xanthogrammica (Giant Green Sea Anenome)

Tectura scutum (most likely; Plate Limpet), grazing an encrusting coralline algae (maybe Lithothamnion sp.?)

A Mopalia sp. (probably muscosa; Hairy Chiton)

A pot of gold!  Egregia menziesii (Feather Boa kelp) and Hedophyllum sessile (I think; Sea Cabbage kelp)

Anthopleura sp., likely Anthopleura sola.  My field team does a lot of "feeding" of anemones on these trips, but this one came by this meal all on its own.  Cool to see.

Acanthodoris nanaimoensis, the Nanaimo dorid.  Our only nudi on this trip.  

Eudystilia sp., probably vancoverii.  A Pacific coast feather duster worm.  One of my favorites 

Haliclona sp. I think (This one doesn't appear to have a common name...but it needs one).  Super cool sponge

 

Diodora aspera (Keyhole Limpet).  This one was in a group of maybe six individuals.  Haven't seen a congregation like that before

Juvenile Henricia sp. (Mottled Henricia; probably sanguinolenta?)  I can't keep track of the Henricia's :)