Scenes from Willapa Bay, Washington - Marine Biology field trip 2003

A panoramic view of the Palix River estuary of Willapa Bay. Note the extensive cover of the invasive marsh grass, Spartina alterniflora.

We arrived in Bay Center under sunny skies and quicky established a conspicuous presence at Bush Pioneer County Park.

Sunset at Willapa

Evening entertainment included the campfire....

... a little bit of studying....

.... and some sprited games of chance.

The next morning everyone began to collect their samples.

Some folks really "got into it"

 

The bulk of the afternoon was taking up with sample sorting

The sorting yielded lots of invertebrates..

 

In the evening, some found the raw oysters to be.... well, "interesting"

... others were less impressed

 

mmmmmm!

On the tideflats we found everything from sponges to fish.....

Some of the lessons really "sank in"