After the Summer time break the hunt for small snails continues. This time the museum employees bought invited by Vivian Husa from the Institute of Marine Analysis and Erling Svensen underwater photographer and writer of Marine fish & invertebrates of Northern Europe to return and assist with marine biodiversity evaluation in Egersund.
Egersund is a small village on the southwest aspect of Norway and unusually has virtually no distinction in peak between high and low tide. The tidal vary is near zero as a result of presence of a tidal node, which there are a number of off across the globe. This all makes Egersund a really attention-grabbing place to hunt for snails (and different marine organisms)!
Our keep was at a really particular place; a lighthouse, referred to as Viberodden (1).
The Viberodden lighthouse is construct on a small island quarter-hour’ drive with boat from Egersund metropolis heart. In the present day it’s run by the so-called Viberodden associates’ basis (Viberodden venner). They hire out the lighthouse to have the ability to cowl the prices for upkeep and cultural actions. The lighthouse was initially constructed to safe entrance to Egersund in 1855 and has been upgraded a number of instances since. The lighthouse was manned till 1977, when it turned totally automated. In 2007 the Viberdden associates’ basis rehabilitated all the lighthouse, and they’re nonetheless in control of upkeeping at present. We due to this fact additionally need to thank the muse for the hospitality and the likelihood for us to make use of the lighthouse as a analysis station for the week!
As soon as we arrived in Egersund, Erling can be ready for us together with his boat to drive us and a complete lot of kit to the lighthouse (2).
(2) Erling Svensen (left) and Vivian Husa (proper) organizers of the workshop on their strategy to the lighthouse. Picture Cessa Rauch, UiB.
Through the week, we grew in variety of contributors and ultimately the group existed of a mixture of researchers from totally different establishments and corporations with a wide range of backgrounds. We had with us macroalgae, Bryozoan (moss animal), Ascidian (sea squirts), sea slug specialists and extra (3).
(3) From left to proper Bjørn Gulliksen professor emeritus from the Norwegian Arctic College, Erling Svensen and Bernard Picton curator of marine invertebrates, Nationwide Museums Northern Eire, collectively in dialogue. Picture Katrine Kongshavn, UiB.
From the museum we had been additionally representatives of a number of totally different Norwegian taxonomy initiatives (artsprosjektet). There was “Digitization of Norwegian Bryozoans” (NorDigBryo), “Marine Amphipods: Variety, Species Advanced, and Molecular Research” (MADAM) and naturally “Decrease Heterobranchia and Pyramidellidae of Norway”.
Through the week we might accumulate a number of totally different habitats, from uncovered kelp forests to blue mussel beds within the Egersund harbour. The lighthouse itself was constructed far out and due to this fact very uncovered therefore we had been depending on the climate for us to exit and accumulate. Fortunately, we had a couple of good climate days that allowed us to snorkel whereas accumulating samples (4).
(4) Snorkelling with Mette Eilertsen from Rådgivende Biologer AS. Picture Cessa Rauch, UiB.
To get our specimens we collected totally different habitats by utilizing jars, nets and buckets and amazingly all our samples turned out to be wealthy in species (5 & 6).
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- (5) Stunning range in species in Egersund, right here two of the species Gonionemus vertens. Picture Cessa Rauch, UiB.
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- (6) Web with kelp after accumulating. Picture Katine Kongshavn, UiB.
(7) Brushing mussels to get the little snails. Picture Katrine Kongshavn, UiB.
Whereas trying to find snails there was a transparent choice of sure species to inhabit both uncovered or sheltered environments, kelp or sandy bottoms. In a single case we needed to brush a whole lot of blue mussels to get to the Pyramidellidae (Odostomia turrita) that parasite on them and on the worms (Serpulidae) that develop their homes on the surface of the blue mussel shells (7).
However we additionally discovered sure species that crawled round within the mud (8) and others that had been on the kelp (9).
(8) Brachystomia sp. Picture Katrine Kongshavn, UiB.
(9) Odostomia turrita. Picture Cessa Rauch, UiB.
The times had been lengthy, and we needed to do a whole lot of sorting of the numerous supplies that had been collected (10).
(10) Sorting samples Cessa (left) and Jon Kongsrud (proper). Picture Katrine Kongshavn, UiB.
Nevertheless it was very a lot price it as we discovered a variety of attention-grabbing species that we didn’t accumulate in earlier fieldtrips from this 12 months (11 & 12).
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- (11) Parthenina interstincta. Picture Cessa Rauch, UiB.
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- (12) Spiralina spiralis. Picture Cessa Rauch, UiB
All these new findings and assortment constructing wouldn’t have been attainable with out the assistance of the organizers, contributors and the likelihood for us to remain on the Viberodden lighthouse and due to this fact we want to thank Erling Svensen, Vivian Husa, Bernard Picton, Mette Eilertsen, Bjørn Gulliksen and Viberodden associates’ basis! Thanks for an amazing and productive week!
-Cessa