SPRING IS IN THE AIR.....AND ON THE BEACH. Updated 5-1-13

Long hours of daylight.....mind you, I didn't say sunlight...that would be a lie (this is Seattle after all), encourages the rapid growth of seaweeds and reproduction in all kinds of marine animals on our local Washington beaches.  Enjoy your season....Spring or Fall depending on where you reside.
Some images of action on the beach and other things....new images added 5-1-13

Dungeness Crabs mating

Slimy Snailfish - little known of natural history - species believed to have been seen at  Alki on 4-28-13 by Linda Peters

Mating of Frilled Whelks - both males and females have a penis but it's unknown why females have one.

Female Frilled Whelk laying eggs

Frilled Whelk egg capsules with newly hatched whelks at bottom

Gravid Tidepool Sculpin

Gravid Tidepool Sculpin

Amorous Kelp Crabs 

Spotted Bubble Shell snail with egg capsule

Unidentified segmented worm feeding on egg mass of Spotted Bubble Shell snail

Red Rock Crab with eggs

Sunflower Star interrupted in middle of lunch on Moon Snail - note; stomach of seastar outside of mouth .

Sunflower Star feeding on Red Rock Crab

Witches Hair seaweed - contains sulfuric acid....not good for seaweed soup

Siphon of Butter Clam

Horse Clam siphon

Bonaparte's Gulls Spring arrival

Dunlin moving north

Northern Kelp Crab with eggs

Shaggy Mouse sea slug feeding on Aggregate Anemone

Purple Sea Star feeding on Thatched Barnacles

Purple Sea Star removed from barnacles on lower right on which it was feeding, note stomach hanging out of sea stars mouth

Siphon of Moon Snail poking above surface for air

Frilled Whelks feeding(?) on Shaggy Mouse sea slug eggs