During the period January 1 - March 31, 1974, winter surveys of the permanent subtidal stations were initiated. Three stations were surveyed.

We completed our winter random intertidal surveys; a total of 14 stations in Diablo Cove and the North Control Area were visited.

The commercial sea urchin fishery resumed and we began interviewing fishermen again.

Very little commercial abalone fishing occurred due to the

one-month closed season and winter storms.

We observed a sea otter in North Cove for the first time and harbor seals were also observcd on the eastern end of the south breakwater for the first time since we began our studies.  (17pp.

Ebert, Earl E.

Gotshall, Daniel W.

Laurent, Laurence L.

Wendell, Fred E.

English

Aquatic Commons

&loss Lsndtng Marine Lab~ratoritn 
P. 0. Box 223 
DIABLO CANYON POTJER PLANT SITE ECOLOGICAL STUDY Landing, Calif. P Y G 3  
I 
I 
1/ I QUARTERLY REPORT NO. 3 - I 
Daniel W. Gotshal l  
Laurence L. Laurent 
Fred E . Wendel3, and 
E a r l  E. Ebert - 
During t h e  period January 1 - Ifarch 31, 1974, win te r  surveys 
of the  permanent s u b t i d a l  s t a t i o n s  wsze i n i t i a t e d .  Three sta.- 
tions were surveyed. 
We completed our winter  random i n t e r t i d a l  surveys; a t o t a l  of 
14 stations i n  Diablo Cove and t h e  North Control Area w e r e  vis- 
i t e d .  
The coclmercial s e a  urchin f i s h e r y  resumed and w e  began i n t e r -  
vit3k'.ir:g f ishetnen agsin . 
Very l i t t l e  commercial abalone ffshing occurred due t o  the  
one-month c losed seasari and w i n t e r  storms. 
We observed a sea o t t e r  i n  North Cove for  t h e  f i r s t  time and 
harbor s e a l s  were also observcd on :he e a t e r n  end of the south 
brealmatsr for the f i r s t  t i m e  since we began our  s t u d i e s .  
I 
.1/ --Harine Resources Administrative. Report No. 6, Hay 1974. 
I 
I 2 / ~ P e r a t i o n s  Rese~rcI: Branch, ZIJnCerey. 
T h i s  is t h e  t h i r d  q u a r t e r l y  repor t  submitted i n  p a r t i a l  f u l f i l l m e n t  
of Research Contract No. 6s-1047 between t h e  Department of F i sh  and 
Game and t h e  P a c i f i c  G a s  and E l e c t r i c  Company. Through t h i s  con t rac t  
, - 
t h e  Department of Fish and Game  is  t o  conduct ecological  monitoring 
s t u d i e s  t o  determine what changes have occurred-during 1970 and 1971 i n  
t h e  base  l i n e  inventory of t h e  marine b io ta ,  with s p e c i a l  reference  t o  
f i s h  and abalone. 
Quar ter ly  repor t s  w i l l  be  followed by annual r epor t s .  F u l l  t a b l e s  
and spec ies  lists w i l l  be included i n  each annual repor t .  
Submitted to: 
Barton W. Shackelford, Vice Pres ident  
Planning and Research Branch 
P a c i f i c  Gas and E l e c t r i c  Company 
77 Beale S t r e e t  
San Francisco, Ca l i fo rn ia  94106 
Submitted by: 
John Radovich - Chief of O.R.B. 
Cal i fo rn ia  Department of Fish  and Game 
1416 9th  S t r e e t  
Sacramento, Ca l i fo rn ia  95814 
INTRODUCTION 
This  is t h e  t h i r d  quar te r ly  repor t  covering Department of F i sh  
and G a m e  a c t i v i t i e s  during t h e  second phase of Diablo Canyon Ecologi- 
c a l  Studies.  These s t u d i e s  are designed t o  assess  t h e  impact of n a t u r a l  
and man-made changes on t h e  permanent s tudy a reas  set up during t h e  
preoperat ional  phase. I n  addi t ion ,  random sampling of t h e  i n t e r t i d a l  
and s u b t i d a l  a r e  being conducted t o  f u r t h e r  quantify t h e  major p lan t  
and animal communities. F ina l ly ,  t h i s  second phase includes monitoring 
of t h e  commercial s e a  urchin and red abalone f i s h e r i e s  t o  obta in  f u r t h e r  
base l ine  d a t a  and at tempt t o  evaluate  t h e i r  impact on t h e  study areas.  
OPERATIONS 
Winter surveys of t h e  permanent s u b t i d a l  s t a t i o n s  w e r e  attempted; 
but, due t o  l a r g e  seas  generated by winter  storms, we were a b l e  t o  
complete only 3 of 11 s t a t i o n s .  S t a t i o n  10 and 11 i n  Diablo Cove were 
surveyed on March 11 and 14, and S t a t i o n  7 i n  t h e  North Cove was 
surveyed on March 14. Counts of most animals w e r e  s i m i l a r  t o  counts 
obtained l a s t  f a l l ;  i n  f a c t ,  some w e r e  i d e n t i c a l  (Table 1) .  This  was 
the  case wi th  TeaZia crassicornis and T.  Zofotensis, Orthasterias 
koehteri, Pisaster giganteus, Stichopus catifornieus and Astraea undbsa 
a t  S t a t i o n  7; Dendrodoris fuZva a t  S t a t i o n  10; and Henricia ZeviuscuZa 
and Patiria miniata a t  S t a t i o n  11. No red abalone spec ies  were observed 
a t  any of the  s t a t i o n s ;  however, w e  d id  encounter p in to  abalone, HaZiotis 
kamtschatkana, a t  a l l  t h r e e  s t a t i o n s .  Giant red sea urchin, Strongy- 
bcentrotus fran&scanus, numbers remained about t h e  same a t  S t a t i o n  7 
Field's Ranch 
Property 
-2- 
# 
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
P G & E  
Atomic Energy 
Plant  S i t e  
North Diablo Cove 
Inter t idal  
Diablo Point 
TABLE 1. Comparison of Invertebrate Numbers Observed During F a l l  1973 and Winter 1973-74 from 
Permanent Subtidal Transects - Diablo Canyon. 
Species Stat ion 7 Stat ion 10 Station 11 
Fal l  Winter Fa l l  Winter F a l l  Winter 
POFUFERA 
Tethya aurantia 
COELENTERATA 
Anthop Zeura xanthogranmica 
L-, 
- f Antnop Zeura artemesia 
1 
TeaZia crassicornis 
TeaZia Zofotensis 
i 
I 
ECHINODERMATA 
i Cucwnaria miniata 
I Eupentacta quinquesemita 
I 
Henricia Zeviuscu Za 
Orthasterias k o e h l e ~  
Patiria miniata 
Pisaster brevispinus 
Pisaster giganteus 
Pisaster ochraceus 
TABLE 1. (continued) 
Species Station 7 Station 10 Station 11 
Fal l  Winter Fal l  Winter Fal l  Winter 
ECHINODERMATA (cont . ) 
Pycnopodia he Zianthoides 0 1 4 0 11 1 
Stichopus caZifornicus 1 1 0 0 1 2 ' 
Strongy Zocentrotus franciscanus 131 137 86 56 89 8 1 
Sty Zas ter ias  f orreri  0 0 1 2 0 2 
ARTH ROP ODA i 
Cancer ant ennari us 
MOLLUS CA 
Astraea undosa 
Cryptochiton steZZerZi 
Dendrodoris futva 
HaZiotis kwntschat kana 
HaZiotis rufescens 
Hinnites muZtirugosus 
CHORDATA 
Stye Za mnterey ensis 
*NC - Present but not counted. 
and 11 b u t  decreased by about 1 / 3  a t  S t a t i o n  10. The lack of red 
abalone and decrease i n  urchin numbers might b e  due t o  commercial 
f i s h i n g  e f f o r t ,  o t t e r  predation,  o r  both.  
During t h e  quar te r ,  14  random i n t e r t i d a l  s t a t i o n s  were v i s i t e d  
during periods of minus t i d e s  - nine  i n  t h e  North Control Area and 
f i v e  i n  Diablo Cove. Twenty-six random s t a t i o n s  w e r e  surveyed during 
t h e  1973-74 Davidson Current Period.  Fourteen of these  s t a t i o n s  were 
i n  Diablo Cove ( i n  t h e  th ree  study areas)  and 12 were i n  the  North 
Control  Area. Sampling was conducted as  described i n  the  previous 
2 
repor t ;  a l l  macroinvertebrates wi th in  t h e  k m quadrats  were counted, 
s o f t  a lgae  was co l l ec ted  f o r  l a t e r  quan t i f i ca t ion ,  and t h e  percentage 
cover by a r t i c u l a t e d  c o r a l l i n e s  and iShy ZZospadix scouZeK was 
estimated. When poss ib le ,  abalone were counted wi th in  1 m of the  30 m 
(98 f t )  t r a n s e c t  l i n e .  
The inver tebra te  d a t a  from t h i s  quar te r  have beensummarized (Table 
2) and, when compared t o  our previous s t u d i e s  a t  Po in t  Arena, again 
show low average numbers of animals i n  a l l  s tudy areas  except the  more 
exposed Diablo Point  I n t e r t i d a l  a rea  (DPI) . 
Abalone t r a n s e c t s  (Table 3) again showed abundant b lack abalone, 
HaZiotis cracherodic i n  most s tudy a reas ,  and red abalone, H. rmfescens, 
c o n s t i t u t i n g  a much smal ler  i n t e r t i d a l  population. Both of these  
abalone populations consisted of mature individuals .  The percentage 
of s p o r t  legal-sized abalone measured from t r a n s e c t s  i n  a l l  a reas  w a s  
62.9% f o r  b lacks  (>  - 5 inches s h e l l  length) and 64.7% f o r  reds (>7 inches 
- 
s h e l l  length).  . I 
A l l  a lgae  co l l ec ted  from quadrats  during t h e  Davidson Period have I 
been so r ted  by species  and have had w e t  weights and dry weights recorded. 
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TABLE 2. (cont.) 
DPI* NCI* NDCI* SDCI* 
Species Sum percent Mean Sum Percent Mean Sum Percent Mean Sum percent  Mean 
frequency km2 frequency b2 frequency 'a2 frequency )tm2 
ARTH ROP ODA 
BaZmus s p .  Many 16.6 -- 
small  
Cancer sp. 
ECHINODERMATA 
Leptasterias spp. 1 16.6 0.2 
Pisaster ochraceous 
Strongy Zocentrotus 
. ptrrpuratus 
MEAN NUMBER OF ANIMALS/% m2 12.16 
TOTAL k m2 QUADRATS 6 
Common 25.0 
* NDCI  = North Diablo Cove I n t e r t i d a l .  
SDCI = South Diablo Cove I n t e r t i d a l .  
DPI = "Diablo point" I n t e r t i d a l .  
N C I  = North Control I n t e r t i d a l  (adjacent  t o  F ie ld ' s  Ranch). 
TABLE 3. Average Numbers and Frequencies of X'wo Species of Abalone Found Along 30 m 
Transects i n  Diablo Cove. 
Species 
NDCI * 
- 
SDCI* DPI* NCI*  % 
Percent Mean Percent Mean Percent Mean . Percent  Mean 
frequency + m2 frequency 3L m2 frequency k rn2 frequency )L m2 
* NDCI = North Diablo Cove I n t e r t i d a l .  
SDCI = South Diablo Cove I n t e r t i d a l .  
DPI = "PiabloPoint"  I n t e r t i d a l .  
N C I  = North Control I n t e r t i d a l  (adjacent  t o  Field's Ranch). 
To d a t e ,  56 s p e c i e s  of r ed  a l g a e  and one of  green have been enumerated. 
The i n t e r t i d a l  zone is  r i c h  i n  a l g a e  and most s t a t i o n s  have been 
2 
averaging over  100 gm dry weightjm . The dominant and most f r equen t  
f o m  a r e  : Iridaea cordata v a r  . splendens, Prionitis Zanceolata, 
GastrocZmium coulteri ,  and BotryogZosswn farZmianwn. 
The commercial f i s h e r y  f o r  sea urchins  resumed i n  January.  Most 
e f f o r t  seems t o  b e  concent ra ted  i n  t h e  a r e a  between Diablo Cove and 
Pecho Rock i n  depths of 3-13.5 m (10 t o  45 f t ) .  At least t h r e e  b o a t s  
are f i s h i n g  out  of P o r t  San Luis  and landing  an average of between 
450-900 kg (1000 and 2000 l b )  of urch ins  pe r  day. 
Landings of  r ed  abalone w e r e  p r a c t i c a l l y  non-exis tent  dur ing  t h e  
q u a r t e r  due t o  w i n t e r  storms and t n e  c losed  season  du r ing  February. 
Sea o t t e r  numbers increased  s u b s t a n t i a l l y  i n  t h e  a r e a  between 
P o i n t  Buchon and Lion Rock, w i t h  a h igh  count of 135 animals on Mardl 
30. Only one o t t e r  was observed sou th  of Lion Rock i n  North Cove on 
March 25. One t h i r d  of t h e  feeding  s e a  o t t e r s  observed w e r e  feeding  
on u rch ins  compared w i t h  t h o s e  observed from J u l y  through December 19 73 
(15.2%) . 
On March 27, w e  observed approximately 12  ha rbo r  seals hauled  ou t  
a t  t h e  e a s t e r n  end of t h e  south  breakwater .  This group inc luded  a t  
l e a s t  two very young animals.  On February 20, we used .an ich thyocide  
t o  c o l l e c t  170 f i s h e s  of 12 s p e c i e s  from a s m a l l  t i d e p o o l  i n  our  North 
Cont ro l  Area. Stomachs were obta ined  fom 6 Gobiesox maeandricus, 29 
Xiphister rnucosus, 8 Gibbonsia metzi, 5 G. montereyewis, and 30 
Xiphister atropwlpureus . 
ABALONE TEMPERATURE TOLERANCE STUDIES 
We continued t e s t i n g  temperature t o l e r a n c e s  of a d u l t  specimens. 
A sample of a d u l t  red  abalones was obta ined  from t h e  Diablo Canyon 
* 
TABLE 4. Summary of Sea O t t e r  Counts and Feeding Habits  - Poin t  
Buchon t o  Lion Rock - January through March 1974. 
Date Otter count Number observed feeding 
Food items 
Abalone Urchins Crabs Unidentif ied 
January 15 7 3 
January 2 1  8 1 
January 29 9 7 
February 5 
February 10 
February 18 
Febraury 27 
March 5 
March 14 
March 19 
March 30 
* Data supplied by Suzanne Benech, P. G. & E. 
region i n t e r t i d a l  zone. These specimens were acclimated a t  1 5  C 
(59 F) f o r  two weeks and then subjected  t o  instantaneous elevated 
temperatures. 
Tes ts  were accomplished a t  four  temperature e leva t ions .  A t  20 C 
(68 F) a l l  test animals survived t h e  120-hr exposure period. Initial  
mor ta l i ty  occurred a f t e r  a 12-hr exposure t o  a temperature of 23 C 
(73 F) . However, 60% of the  test animals survived a f t e r  a 120-hr 
exposure t o  t h i s  same temperature. This may be contras ted  wi th  an 
e levated  temperature of 26 C (79 F) t h a t  e f fec ted  t o t a l  mor ta l i ty  
wi th in  24 h r ,  o r  a 30 C (86 F) temperature t h a t  brought about t o t a l  
mor ta l i ty  wi th in  6 h r  (Table 5) . 
Loss of attachment a b i l i t y  was f i r s t  observed wi th in  3 h r s  a t  
23 C (73 F) . A t  26 C (79 F), 20% of the t e s t  animals l o s t  t h e i r  
attachment a b i l i t y  wi th in  1 h r  and a l l  became detached wi th in  3 h r s .  
A temperature of 30 C (86 F) caused a l l  t e s t  animals t o  l o s e  t h e i r  
attachment a b i l i t y  wi th in  1 h r  (Table 6) .  
TABLE 5 .  Percent Survival of Adult Red Abalone, HaZiotis rufescens, Acclimated at 15 C ( 5 9  F) and 
Subjected to  Instantaneous Elevated Temperature Shock. 
Test Temp. Number Per cent survival 
- - 
Of t e s t  , 
animals Exposure time (hr). 1 3 6 12 2 4 36 48 6 0 72 84 96 108 120 
TABLE 6 .  Percent Remaining Attached of Adult Red Abalone, HaZiotis rmfescens, Acclimated at 
15 C and Subjected to  Instantaneous Elevated Temperature Shock. 
Test Temp. N u ~ b e r  Percent remaining attached 
C of  tes t  Exposure time (hr) 
animals 1 3 6 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96 108 120 
MAN-DAYS SPENT AT DIABLO CANYON POWER PLANT SITE 
January 1 - March 31, 1974 
I n t e r t i d a l  Surveys : January 4-9 
Par t i c ipan t s :  Farrens and Wendell 
January 18-21 
Par t i c ipan t s :  Laurent and Gotshall  
February 3-7 
Par t i c ipan t s :  
Pa r t i c ipan t s :  
Subt idal  Surveys: 
Pa r t i c ipan t s :  
P a r t i c i p a n t s  : 
Commercial Sea Urchin Fishing 
Surveys : 
Par t i c ipan t s :  
To ta l  man-days during quar ter :  
To ta l  man-days a t  s f t e :  
Boat-days l o s t  t o  weather: 
To ta l  s t a t i o n s  surveyed: 
Travel t i m e  man-days 
Boat t i m e  (hr) 
Laboratory t i m e  man-days 
Farrens and Wendell 
February 17-20 
Gotshall ,  Laurent and Farrens 
March 11-14 
Gotshall ,  Wendell and Farrens 
March 25-26 
Gotshal l ,  Laurent and Farrens 
March 4-6 
Laurent 
*Non-project personnel man-days a r e  not  included i n  t o t a l s ,  and 
t o t a l s  do not  inc lude t i m e  spent  on abalone temperature to lerance  s tud ies .  
PROJECT PERSONNEL: 
Daniel  W. Go t sha l l  Sen io r  Marine B i o l o g i s t ,  P r o j e c t  Leader 
Laurence L. Laurent Assoc ia t e  Marine B i o l o g i s t  
Fred E. Wendell Jr. Aquat ic  B i o l o g i s t  
Margaret M. Hughes Stenographer  I1 
Gary D. Far rens  Seasonal  Aid 
NON-PROJECT PERSONNEL: 
E a r l  E. Ebe r t  
Suzanne V. Benech 
Sen io r  Marine B i o l o g i s t ,  Operat ions Research 
Branch 
P. G. & E. 


Diablo Canyon Power Plant site ecological study Quarterly Report No. 3; January 1 - March 31, 1974

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Diablo Canyon Power Plant site ecological study Quarterly Report No. 3; January 1 - March 31, 1974

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