I lean towards the rocks, tilting my kayak in an attempt to grab hold of the rock walls, a loose frond of Egregia menziesii—anything to momentarily secure myself. This is my first time surveying sea stars from a boat, and I’m not nearly adept enough in my classification skills to concern myself with the elegance and grace of my sea kayaking maneuvers.

Survey site 1, with pink Ochre star and Giant Green anemones

I tentatively secure myself beside a patch of sea stars, and hold out my ruler, measuring the radii and condition of the Pisaster ochraceus and Dermasterias imbricata before me. My purpose in being here today is two-fold. I’m excited to support and participate in ongoing research into the health of local sea star populations in Clayoquot Sound, an ongoing monitoring project spearheaded by Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society, with whom we now collaborate. My other objective is, unsurprisingly, an educational one: I’m casing the research process, working to determine the suitability of this survey for different age groups, identifying safety-related constraints, and generally assessing how best to share this experience to visiting school groups and students.   

Ochre stars and small Leather star

A collection of Ochre stars

The learning curve is steep, but my estimation skills improve with practice. Satchel, our Station Coordinator and head of the Sea Star Wasting Syndrome (SSWS) monitoring program here at Cedar Coast, is one to watch: he moves at triple my speed, calling out species names, size, and health status with practiced precision. It’s low tide, and we drift past rocks striped with horizontal bands of seaweed, a gradient of yellowy-browns, greens, and dark reds extending into the sea. We are pleased to find few instances of severe wasting today—the Ochre and Leather stars we find are largely in good condition. Our monitoring efforts will continue—as will I, working towards incorporating this project into our suite of in-house educational programs.

By Sarah Rosen, Canada Summer Jobs student and Education Program Coordinator