On Fri, 7 Aug 1998 12:55:35 -0400 Paul Monfils <[log in to unmask]> writes: >Hi Charlie, >Yep=21 Cape Cod is my stomping grounds. The great thing about Cape >Cod, = >as I mentioned in a post some months ago, is that the north shore and >= >south shore of the cape, though only 5 to 8 miles apart, differ >markedly = >in marine fauna. This is due to the fact that the south shore, on = >Nantucket Sound and Buzzards Bay, is warmed by the Gulf Stream, and >the = >water here is often 20 or more degrees warmer than in Cape Cod Bay, >only a = >few miles north. So you can collect on shallow, grassy tidal flats >with = >water temperature near 70 degrees F, then drive 15 or 20 minutes to a >= >surf-pounded shore of boulders and rockweed, with water temperature >around = >50. >Cape Cod is shaped like an arm, held straight out from the shoulder, >with = >the elbow bent upwards about 90 degrees, and the fist curled inward, >just = >the way you would hold your arm to show off your biceps. Most of the >good = >collecting, especially on the south shore, is on the =22lower cape=22 >and = >=22mid-cape=22 regions, that is, between the mainland and the >=22elbow=22 = >of the arm. Once you round the elbow and head north toward >Provincetown, = >onto the =22upper cape=22, you encounter several miles of clean sand = >beaches, relatively devoid of life. Very few rocks, very little algal >= >growth, very clean water, and relatively few animals. It=27s hard to >find = >a shell on the beach up there, except perhaps an occasional surf clam >= >(Spisula solidissima). Nice swimming though. >On the south shore of the cape there are many good collecting areas. >A = >few that I like are: >* Falmouth - this is at the southernmost point of the cape. There is >a = >good mix of habitats here - some rocky areas, some sandy beaches, some >= >muddy tidal inlets. One spot I like is a sandy tidal inlet beside the >= >Mara Vista Motel (I=27m not sure if the motel still exists under that >name = >- the danger of using manmade landmarks). Here you can find Busycon = >canaliculatum, and sometimes Polinices duplicatus. Even though there >are = >no rocks, Crepidula fornicata can be found in the channel, attached to >= >each other in stacks. Sifting the sand provides unlimited numbers of >= >Gemma gemma, with far smaller numbers of Lyonsia hyalina, Tellina >agilis, = >Pandora gouldiana, Haminoea solitaria, and Acteon canaliculata. The = >pilings under the bridge have Anachis avara, Anachis translirata, and >some = >Urosalpinx cinerea and Eupleura caudata. >The rockier areas around Falmouth usually have Ascophyllum rockweed, >and = >vigorously shaking a handful of it into a bucket will usually produce >= >Bittium alternatum, Lacuna vincta, Littorina saxatilis, Mitrella >lunata, = >and others. And of course, the rocks have Littorina littorea and >Mytilus = >edulis, as every rock in New England does. Purple sea urchins >(Arbacia) = >are also here. >Right next door to Falmouth is the village of Woods Hole, which >includes = >the world-famous oceanographic institute. >* Cotuit, Hyannis, Yarmouth - these areas are relatively rock-free, >but = >offer both open sandy beaches and sheltered grassy coves with silty >sand = >or muddy sand bottoms. The shallow, warm coves are more productive >then = >the open beaches. At most such locations you can find Busycon >canaliculatu= >m (and sometimes Busycon carica), Polinices duplicatus, Nassarius = >obsoletus, Nassarius trivittatus, sometimes Nassarius vibex, Anachis = >translirata, Anachis avara, Mitrella lunata, Crepidula plana (inside = >almost any large dead gastropod shell you find), Mercenaria >mercenaria, = >Mya arenaria, Pecten irradians, Crassostrea virginica, Anadara ovalis, >= >Anadara transversa, Laevicardium mortoni, Nucula proxima, Tagelus = >plebeius, Ensis directus, Tellina agilis, etc. Also pipefish, spider >= >crabs, horseshoe crabs. If the shore is muddy and grassy, you will >also = >find Geukensia demissa in large numbers. >* Chatham - this is on the elbow of the cape, and here you are getting >= >into uninterrupted sand. Monomoy Island was a pristine spot where you >= >could walk a mile of beach and only see a few other people. Notice, I >say = >=22was=22. I went there last summer, after a couple of years absence, >and = >found they had built a public bathing beach. However, down the shore >from = >the bathing beach (to the right, as you face the water), there are >several = >shallow, sandy coves and inlets in which surf clams and a few other = >sand-loving bivalves can be found, along with Polinices duplicatus and >= >sometimes a few Busycon. Also here is the beginning of the sand dunes >= >which characterize the upper cape. >A few of my favorite south shore sites are not actually on Cape Cod, >but a = >short distance away on the mainland. A couple of these are: >* Harbor Beach, in Marion - a warm, shallow bay with a slightly muddy >sand = >bottom, and lots of grass. A bit hard to find if you don=27t know >your = >way around. You can walk or snorkle over 100 yards out and still be >in 5 = >feet of water or less. Nassarius (Ilyanassa) obsoletus and Mya >arenaria = >are abundant on the beach area. Bivalves include Laevicardium >mortoni, = >Geukensia demissa, Crassostrea virginica, Tellina agilis, Ensis >directus, = >Tagelus plebeius, Anadara ovalis, Anadara transversa, Solemya velum, >and = >many very large Mercenaria mercenaria. There are a few small rock = >outcrops with Littorina littorea and a few Urosalpinx cinerea. Right >at = >the shoreline, small hermit crabs carry Littorina littorea shells, and >on = >many of these shells you will find the small, dark colored Crepidula = >convexa. You never find them on live Littorina, only on those carried >by = >hermit crabs. Large Crepidula plana are often found in dead Busycon >or = >Polinices shells. The town has cleared the area of most small rocks, >but = >before that Anomia simplex was common. >* Fort Phoenix in Fairhaven - this is a state park, but no-one objects >to = >collecting. The bathing beach area is not productive, but the rocky >area = >below the fort (an old Revolutionary War structure with huge iron >cannon = >still in place) is good. Beach collecting here is very good. >Crepidula = >fornicata are amazingly abundant. There are Littorina littorea on the >= >rocks, and Mytilus edulis and Geukensia demissa in rock crevices. The >= >water is not as clean as on the cape, since this is just outside New = >Bedford harbor. Turning rocks, and sifting sand under rocks is the >most = >productive method here. There is Bittium alternatum, Urosalpinx >cinerea, = >Eupleura caudata, Anachis avara, Mitrella lunata, Nassarius >trivittatus, = >and sometimes Seila adamsi. Common bivalves include Anadara >transversa, = >Nucula proxima, Petricola pholadiformis, Anomia simplex, Mya arenaria, >and = >sometimes Yoldia limatula. >This getting a bit long, so I=27ll write a separate posting concerning >a = >couple of north shore sites. >Paul M. > _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]