Invasive SpeciesOrange sheath tunicate

Botrylloides violaceus
FOUND by Purple Polar Bears 2
2011-10-05
Falmouth
ID Confirmed
Quality checked by Ms H
Peer reviewed by Simon
Field Notes
A sketch of our study site.
We heard students talking to one another about various data. We saw a dock, a harbor, boats, many students, a parking lot, and a sandy beach on the other side of the viewing site. We were studying a rocky part of the beach with many tide pools in the cracks of the rocks. We smelled the salty ocean air, and were surprised on how easy the data was to find. Our question was, "Is climate change impacting Maine's intertidal communities? "
Supporting Evidence
Photo of my evidence.
One of our pieces of evidence was the rounded zooloid on the Orange Stealth Tunicate. A zooloid is a range in loose circles, rows, or dense colonies.
Photo of my evidence.
The orange stealth tunicate was attached to a rock and seaweed. We believe these are the most common things to find orange stealth tunicate on. It attaches to submerged structures, algae, or slow moving organisms.
Photo of my evidence.
The orange tunicate comes in various colors, typically bright orange, red, or dull purple, the look of the orange tunicate, the texture of the tunicate likes like a mushy, muddy like feel.
Species Observation: Species Looked For
Did you find it?: 
I think I found it
Scientific name:
Botrylloides violaceus
Common name:
Orange sheath tunicate
Is it alive?: 
Count of individuals: 
Coverage: 
Reproduction: 
Vegetative structures (plants)
How big is it?: 
5 - 10 cm
Is it male or female?: 
Sampling method: 
Quadrat (user-placement)
Photo of our sampling method.
Place Studied
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Map this species
Latitude: 
N 43.732290 °
Longitude: 
W -70.204270 °
Observation Site Information
A photo of our study site.
Name:
Purple Polar Bears 2's visit to Eagles Falmouth Town Landing
Habitat: 
Coastal - Rocky intertidal
Trip Information
Name:
Eagles Falmouth Town Landing
Trip date: 
Wed, 2011-10-05 10:15
Town or city: 
Falmouth
Type of investigation: 
Species and Habitat Survey
Ecosystem: 
Coastal
Watershed: 
Presumpscot
Sampling Method: 
Dock
Just looking around
Quadrat (user-placement)
Nearest waterbody: 
Casco Bay
Time of high tide AM: 
Time of high tide PM: 
Time of low tide AM: 
Wed, 2011-10-05 12:30
Time of low tide PM: 
Habitat Observations
Species diversity: 
37 different species
Evidence of vectors: 
Boat ramp
Boats
Paved road
People
Recent disturbance
Water temperature: 
15.9°C
pH: 
7.4
Dissolved oxygen: 
7.8mg/L
Salinity: 
29.5ppt

Comments

Submitted by gmri on Fri, 2011-12-02 10:39.

getting the grease

Hey squeaky wheel team,

Did you notice that the species expert CONFIRMED your observation! That's some awesome feedback right there.

Excellent evidence photos and statements. I like that your 1st evidence statement even teaches the VS community about what a zooid is.

So what have you found out so far about your research question? Do you think that climate change is impacting intertidal species and communities? Do you think you might see more or less of this tunicate in 5, 10, 15 years?

Thanks for looking for invasives!

...pay this feedback forward and go leave a comment on someone else's observation!

Submitted by Purple Polar Bears 2 on Fri, 2011-12-02 10:05.

attention Please!

we are hoping someone might give us feedback on our work