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  A PHOTO FROM RECENT REPORTS
Mile 158 — Douglas County, Oregon Dunes NRA, west of south end of Carter Lake 
 MORE ABOUT MILE 158  
oceanwalker842 — Beautiful, very windy day. Started out at 63 degrees and by the time we finished, the temp rose to 73. Many scattered small pebbles (1 1/2 inches and smaller) plus small pieces of broken shells, ...   COMPLETE REPORT  
 Mon Jun 3, 2:15 PM   Shoreline "debris" and tire tracks
That's it
Location: Middle of the mile
Copyright: no
 SHOW FULL SIZE PHOTO  
 OTHER RECENT COASTWATCH MILE REPORTS 
  ALERTS
 Seminar on Seafaring Seaweed Coming Right Up
Gayle Hansen at work in the field.
This Thursday, June 20, the Hatfield Marine Science Center will host a talk on marine algae (aka seaweed) that has been arriving on tsunami debris. As many CoastWatchers are engaged in scouting for debris, and checking for potential invasive species, this topic is of more than academic interest.
The speaker is Gayle Hansen, of Oregon State University’s Department of Botany and Plant Pathology (and, we might add, a CoastWatcher). Her topic: “Marine Algae on Tsunami Debris: Results of the Survey to Date.”
The event takes place at 3:30 p.m. in the Library Seminar Room at the HMSC’s Guin Library.
For those unable to travel to Newport but free at that time, there will be a live broadcast of the Thursday afternoon seminar via Adobe Connect: http://oregonstate.adobeconnect.com/hmsc-fw407/
Contact: Phillip Johnson, Executive Director, (503) 754-9303, or EMAIL
 

  EVENTS
 Shoreline Science Workshops Planned for Summer 2013
Stewart Schultz
A special opportunity is avalable this summer for CoastWatchers, Oregon Shores members, and all others who love the coast and would like to learn more about its natural history: three intensive, three-day workshops on shoreline science, led by coastal ecologist Stewart Schultz.
The workshops are accredited for teachers, and will be held in Netarts (July 26-28), Newport (Aug. 8-10) and Coos Bay (Aug. 11-13). They will cover everything from tidepools and sandy beaches to estuarine and ocean ecosystems to marine mammals and birds. Each session will include field trips, indoor presentations, and laboratory experiences (with some variation, depending on the weather).
Each workshop will be open to the public, but their special purpose is to provide CoastWatchers with training in many aspects of coastal ecology relevant to monitoring the shoreline. Matters of concern such as marine debris and invasive species will also be discussed.
Stewart Schultz, author of The Northwest Coast: A Natural History, is an ideal guide to the shoreline environment. An Oregonian who grew up playing on the shoreline near Gearhart, he went to Reed College and obtained his doctorate in botany from the University of British Columbia. He worked on the Oregon coast for the Nature Conservancy, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, gaining wide field experience before pursuing an academic career, first as a professor at the University of Miami and now the University of Zadar in Croatia. During the academic year he studies marine ecology as well as his specialty area, plant evolution and genetics, but every summer he returns to the Oregon coast to teach shoreline science on his home turf (home surf?)
In most years, he teaches at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, but this year he had room in his schedule for CoastWatch, and we seized the opportunity to provide our volunteers—and other interested people—a rich course in coastal natural history.
He will be joined by Fawn Custer, CoastWatch’s volunteer coordinator, herself an experienced marine educator who taught for 14 years at the Hatfield Marine Science Center. The three workshops will be held:
  • July 26-28, Netarts-Oceanside Fire District Meeting Hall
  • Aug. 8-10, Newport High School
  • Aug. 11-13, Marshfield High School, Coos Bay
   The workshop fee will be $50 for those who are both CoastWatchers and Oregon Shores members, $60 for those who are either CoastWatchers or Oregon Shores members, and $90 for non-members. Each workshop will begin at 8:30 a.m. on the first day, and at 7 a.m. on the final two days, and will run until approximately 4:30.
We are now accepting reservations. Online registration is not yet ready, but if you contact us we will hold a place for you. You may pay now by check (send to Oregon Shores, P.O. Box 33, Seal Rock, OR 97376) or wait until online registration is open to pay via credit card.
For more information, or to reserve a place in one of the workshops, contact Fawn Custer, (541) 270-0027, fawn@oregonshores.org; or Phillip Johnson, (503) 754-9303, phillip@oregonshores.org.
 

  NEWS
 Volunteers Needed for Marbled Murrelet Survey
Marbled Murrelet
The 8th annual volunteer-based marbled murrelet survey is scheduled this year for July 10-11 in Yachats. This is an opportunity to participate in citizen science. No experience is necessary—training will be provided. Note that an RSVP is essential.
Oregon State University ornithologist and marbled murrelet expert Kim Nelson will lead the survey. Staging will take place in Yachats. The survey will take place in the recently designated ‘Globally Significant’ Central Coast Murrelet Important Bird Area, which includes 100,000 acres of murrelet habitat in the Siuslaw National Forest and adjacent nearshore waters.
Participants will view and discuss old-growth forest habitat as well as the recently designated offshore marine reserve. During the morning surveys, participants will likely see and/or hear murrelets on both breeding territory and in their nearshore feeding areas.
Survey training starts July 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Yachats Commons (441 Highway 101 N.) with Kim Nelson and Paul Engelmeyer, Coastal Important Bird Area Coordinator. Survey site selections and directions (maps) will be distributed at the evening training.
On July 11, the morning survey at upland sites starts at 4:44 a.m. and ends at 6:44 a.m. Nearshore surveys (six coastal sites) run from 9-10 a.m. A celebratory picnic starts at 11 a.m. at a home two miles up Ten Mile Creek road.
Be sure to RSVP your intended participation. If you need more information contact Paul Engelmeyer, (541) 547-4227, or go here.
Contact: Phillip Johnson, Executive Director, (503) 754-9303, or EMAIL
 

MORE NEWS...
 Volunteers Sought to Tackle Microplastics
We all recoil in disgust from large plastic debris, from water bottles to fishing nets. Most of us by now have heard about the Great North Pacific Garbage Patch, the gyre swirling around the ocean northeast of Hawaii that captures large quantities of debris. But plastic in the environment breaks down into smaller and smaller particles, and these “microplastics” can actually do as much or more ... MORE 
 Hearing Slated on New State Park Rules
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) is considering some new rules and regulations, and will be holding a series of public meetings to allow the public to comment. The hearing on the coast takes place in Newport on June 18, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Newport Public Library, 35 N.W, Nye Street. Proposed changes include making rule violations a class D violation rather than a class ... MORE 
 Help Needed with Debris Collection Project
There are two ways to help with a special project to address tsunami debris, and other marine debris. The project is being conducted by the Surfrider Foundation of Oregon, the Pacific State Marine Fisheries Commission, and the Oregon Marine Debris Team, of which CoastWatch is a part. We are looking for beach accesses where we can post informational signs about tsunami debris, and dispensers for ... MORE 
  SIGHTINGS
 Sightings: Salps Surprise CoastWatchers with Shoreline Appearance
By Bonnie Henderson. This winter CoastWatchers from Clatsop County south to at least Coos County have reported finding an elongated jellyfish-like creature stranded on the beach, sometimes in large numbers. This organism—barrel-shaped and nearly transparent, typically five or six inches long, with two thin, dark, spindly appendages at one end—is an oceanic filter-feeder known as a salp. A pulse ... MORE 
  MILE REPORTS SINCE MAY 25 2013
  MILE 209  bloeffel — Summer high beach sands were being built by the Northwest winds. Beach gradients checked were 1 foot in 18 or 19 feet. The beach was almost free of debris and litter in part because of the ...  MORE 
  MILE 236  Streets — Lovely, calm day. Hard-packed sand. Feathers were tangled up in every kelp pile (which were numerous) along the driftline.  MORE 
  MILE 223  Longview — There was very little trash on the beach. This was the cleanest that our club has found the beach. There were 6 club members in attendance.  MORE 
  MILE 46  Redfish Rocks Community Team — Dead Gumboots were interesting, why so many? The specimen of squid we found was really interesting too! Not sure why the person clamming was so dodgy, but at least they got dinner for the night! ...  MORE 
  MILE 10  SMathis — Beautiful day. Few people on beach despite low tide.  MORE 
  MILE 222  dderickson — A beautiful day on the beach; not as windy as the past several days, about 15 mph. The driftline contained rocks, surf grass, sea palm, weathered kelp, and shell pieces. High on the beach was ...  MORE 
  MILE 103  beachnut — There isn't much to report on this stretch of beach, unlike the last person who walked it and collected scads of plastic bottles. Blowing sand may be obscuring some litter in the storm line but not ...  MORE 
  MILE 102  beachnut — Heading north from the Coquille River and jetty was quite bracing on a foggy morning. One good thing about the wind is that sand has blown onto many of the logs jammed up below the parking lot, ...  MORE 
  MILE 102  beachnut — Heading south from the Coquille River just before sunrise surprisingly had 4 others walking the beach. But it was a clear day and a negative tide, so who could blame them? One dead cormorant marred ...  MORE 
  MILE 301  DHiggins — Beach is very clean after the recent rains.  MORE 
  MILE 158  oceanwalker842 — Beautiful, very windy day. Started out at 63 degrees and by the time we finished, the temp rose to 73. Many scattered small pebbles (1 1/2 inches and smaller) plus small pieces of broken shells, ...  MORE 
  MILE 198  bahngarten — Moderate winds from the NW. Several gull concentrations of 35-70 on beach. Clean beach, pebbles, immature 3-5" Dungeness crab parts in the driftline, and a few mole crab carcasses. 7 people, 1 dog ...  MORE 
  MILE 297  NehalemBay — This was a warm, sunny, windy day on the beach. The sand has covered most of the big wood, with a long, gentle slope to the surfline. Nine horseback riders rode along the beach. Nine other people ...  MORE 
  MILE 245  TerryH — Not much to report from Roads End. Beach has been fairly clean of litter and dead birds. Much sand has moved in to create a couple small lagoons. A half-dozen kelp piles on the beach today. ...  MORE 
  MILE 200  Joanie — Park Ranger was driving on the beach. A dead gray whale calf that was reportedly killed by a pod of orcas two weeks before had washed up on the beach. Ranger was going to bury the body. It was ...  MORE 
  MILE 56  CapeWalker — CapeWalker and buddy got up early to make the most of minus tide, On the beach just pass low am tide. Not alone, 2 trucks on the south side of Cape Blanco, it is permitted and no auto on north side, ...  MORE 
  MILE 305  skyhar8000 — A great day for a hike during one of the year's lowest tides. Was able to access all coves. The driftline content was average, except that there was more wood than usual, and it had been more ...  MORE 
  MILE 111  coasster — The beach has some dunes forming, still small. The amount of debris was moderate. Not many birds about, just a handful of gulls and one group of over flying ducks. Most of the seaweed in the wrack ...  MORE 
  MILE 234  Dick and Colleen — We documented our beach mile on a very low tide (-2.0). There were a fair number of people out compared to other times. We did find a dead Lingcod (see picture). We also noted a die-off of algae ...  MORE 
  MILE 153  bebdhm — A lovely day, lots of people on the beach clamming, ATV'ing and camping. No birds noted except 3 turkey vultures at the dead stellar sea lion, 1 dead sea lion, and bull kelp along mile.  MORE 
CoastWatch, a citizen monitoring program, engages Oregonians in personal stewardship over their shoreline. Volunteers adopt mile-long segments of Oregon's coast, keeping watch for natural changes and human-induced impacts, reporting on their observations, and sounding the alarm about threats and concerns.

CoastWatch is founded on individual vigilance and responsibility for one portion of the ocean shore. But the program also links hundreds of 'mile adopters' in a coastwide network of concerned citizens taking action to conserve shoreline resources. CoastWatchers serve as an early warning system not only for the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition, but also for neighbors along their miles, local government, regulatory agencies and other conservation groups.