The Inland Bays Volunteer Fish Monitoring Program

Twice a month the Inland Bays Volunteer Fish Monitoring Program visits four study site locations around the bays to examine the biodiversity of aquatic fauna in the Rehoboth Bay. Last week, I was able to tag along and assist with the fish survey.

I met with CIB Policy Coordinator Roy Miller, a fellow citizen friend of the bays, and the leader of the program, Ron Kernehan at the CIB office. Our first study site was near the Indian River Inlet Marina. Roy and I seined about 40 feet of the shoreline at the location. The amount of fish in the net was astonishing ! Right away I could tell some species were way more prevalent than others. Striped fish, spotted fish, shiny fish, and some funny looking fish flopped around on the beach. I had no idea what most of these fish were called, and I’ve lived right alongside of the Inland Bays most of my life.

 

 Some of the more rare species found that day:
(Top-Left) Northern Pipefish
(Right) Striped Blenny
(Bottom-Left) Northern Puffer

 

Ron told me that it was important to get some fish into buckets faster than others because each species has a different tolerance out of the water. The four of us quickly picked through what must’ve been over a thousand fish, all while trying not to get our fingers pinched by small crabs hiding beneath them. We measured 50 fish of each species at random, then counted and released the rest. Although for some species we only had one or two fish. Some of the fish species found included: Summer Flounder, Striped Killifish, Northern Puffer, Bluntnose Ray, Striped Blenny, Atlantic Silverside, Mummichog, Northern Pipefish, and Spot. I gained a new understanding for the aquatic diversity of the Inland Bays that day, a truly rewarding experience.

More can be found about the Inland Bays Fish Monitoring program and our swimming friends that inhabit the bays at http://www.inlandbays.org/3159-2/

The Eastern Oyster

Last week I was given the opportunity to aid Delaware State University graduate student, Brian Reckenbiel, with one of the hottest environmental topics in the Delaware Inland Bays community right now, oyster gardening.

Crassostrea virginica or the Eastern Oyster is a native shellfish of the Inland Bays of Delaware. They’re of particular interest right now because they have good environmental and economical implications. This bivalve will assist in stopping Eutrophication by consuming phytoplankton (therefore improving dissolved oxygen for other species), and it could provide another income source to fisheries.

Our task that day was to thin out mature oysters from the Taylor Floats of citizen oyster gardeners in the Fenwick Island area. A Taylor Float is a sort-of floating basket full of shell that promotes growth (because oysters need a hard substrate). Thinning the floats allows the gardeners to maintain the oysters easier and creates more room for the younger oysters (spat) to grow. While moving the oysters I found crabs, baitfish, sea sponges, anemones, and even a terrapin!The oysters we collected will eventually be placed on structures around the Inland Bays to help mitigate marine pollution.

That day we also visited a study site in Bethany Beach to help quantify oyster growth in the Indian River Bay by measuring shell length, height, and thickness. This was important because it will help determine where oyster aquaculture is feasible. Overall a great day's work!

Spat on shell (bottom); Juvenille oyster (top)

If you would like to get involved/have questions about the Oyster Gardening Program you can contact:

EJ Chalabala
Delaware Center for the Inland Bays
39375 Inlet Road
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
Phone: (302) 226-8105
Fax: (302) 226-8109
Email: wildlife@inlandbays.org

James Farm Ecological Preserve



The James Farm Ecological Preserve created in 1998, owned by Sussex County and managed by the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays, hosts 7th and 8th graders for field trips, where they are toured around the preserve and are taught all about the environment and ecology. I was lucky enough to tag along on a few of the field trips where we helped out the teachers.

The observatory facing one of the marshes

Dennis, the Center's Schoolyard Habitat Coordinator, runs the program and knows just about everything there is to know about James Farm. As he led me and half the group through the woods, he taught the kids about the history of the farm, all about wetlands, watersheds, and soil quality. Alice and Karen, two other teachers, lead the second half of the kids out to the beach where they learned about the abiotic water quality factors and learned how to seine. Seeing the kids all dressed up in their overall waders was adorable. They surprisingly caught over 8 different species, where Alice and Karen then helped identify them.


The beach at James Farm

As the technology era continues to grow, I was worried that younger kids would not be interested in what the 150-acre farm had to offer. I was joyed to see how much the kids loved it and wanted to come back with their friends and family. The teachers truly love being outdoor educators and the James Farm has so much to offer educationally.
This park features two miles of marked hiking trails, three observation platforms, a beachfront boardwalk and much more. Open all year round, it is definitely a beautiful place that I will be returning to even when I'm not working!

--Caitlin

Eastern Diamondback Terrapin

The Diamondback Terrapin

Last month, James Farm Property manager Bob Collins, fellow intern Eddy Meade, and I set out on Route 1 between Dewey Beach and Fenwick Island to set up terrapin crossing awareness signs for travelers.

The Diamondback Terrapin is native to eastern and southern United States and can be found in brackish waters near the coasts. These terrapins are plentiful in our inland bays but are in danger of being killed during their nesting season. The female Diamondback Terrapin lays her eggs from mid-May to mid-July in the soft sands of the dunes, across the highway from their normal habitat. During this time, drivers must use extra caution traveling along Route 1.

As the three of us traveled along the highway we too often saw the sight of a lifeless cracked shell. In three other instances we saw little black dots scurrying across the road ahead of us. We quickly hopped out of the truck, hoping that we could get to the terrapin before the traffic. Sometimes, we could only stand there, knowing that we could do nothing until the traffic was clear. One time, I watched as a dump truck came within inches of the terrapin as it hid inside its shell. Luckily we escorted all of them safely each time. CIB staff and interns saved six terrapins that day alone. While six may not seem like a lot, each female terrapin can reproduce for up to two decades. Therefore, each one killed is also a loss of all of the future offspring.

The Center for the Inland Bays would like to stress that you can help the Diamondback Terrapin! Follow these guidelines and you can help preserve the ecosystem:

http://www.inlandbays.org/diamondback-terrapin/


-- Nick