Low Tide Beach Walks

Rockfish, Sebastes Species

Swimming in the Puget Sound is a fish that is very intimidating indeed. With spiny and sharp dorsal fins this fish has quite the presence. The Tiger Rockfish pictured here is pinkish red with dark vertical stripes along its side, resembling a beautiful tiger in the wild. The tiger rockfish is just one of the over 20 species of rockfish found in the Salish Sea. Rockfish in the Puget Sound span a range of different life-history types, habitats, and ecological niches.  Because of this diversity, managing rockfish as a whole is quite challenging so species specific management has been the go to approach for conserving this important player in the marine (and human) food web. Furthermore, protecting habitats like eelgrass, and  kelp forests is is important to rockfish conservation as many species depend on these habitats at some point in their life-history. Join us at Cocktails & Fishtales next week to learn from Adam Obaza with Paua Marine Research Group about rockfish and what's being done to protect them. 

Ocean Friendly Sunscreen

As a redhead with freckles sunscreen is a main staple in my daily routine, even in the winter. My main focus has always been the best sunscreen to prevent sun damage that can lead to skin cancer. But now living by the water I also want to make sure my SPF is not damaging to the Puget Sound. Luckily, we can be both environmentally safe as well as protect ourselves from damaging UV rays. When you read the backs of your sunscreen check the ingredients list for: oxybenzone, octinoxate, 3-benzylidene, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, octocrylene, benzophenone-1, benzophenone-8, and OD-PABA. Avoid these as much as possible as they can cause major damage to our marine life. Also be on the look for nanoparticles in your sunscreen: nano-titanium dioxide and nano-zinc oxide. These can be especially detrimental to one of the most valuable ecosystems on Earth: coral reefs. Opt for a non-nano, mineral based sunscreen to protect our waterways. If you want to avoid sunscreen all together you can wear UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) clothing, hats, and sunglasses. If you are like me and have to use UPF as well as SPF I promise there are great options that don't go on as a thick white layer that are also considered safer for our marine life!