MAD HATTER 2

Underwater Marine Park

A strange creature floats by, flapping its
circular body almost as if it had wings, while
below its massive head are 30 foot long stinging
poisonous tentacles.

This image is not from a science fiction movie,
but instead, part of the scenery found below the
surfaceof Indian Arm, just a few miles from
downtown Vancouver.

Cyanea Copillata, the giant red jellyfish, is one
of the most colourful and abundant life forms
found in the waters of the proposed Belcarra
Underwater Marine Park.

This region of the Vancouver Harbour, across
from Deep Cove and at the entrance to Port
Moody, is the focus of a unique survey being
conducted by Douglas College.

With the help of a Canada Works grant, the
Greater Vancouver Regional District and assis-
tance from the Vancouver Public Aquarium, a
groupof six divers will soon have a complete
catalogue of every variety of flora and fauna
in the proposed underwater park.

Many Varieties of PlantsGF ish

"An old UBC Professor of mine used to say that
Vancouver harbour has the worst documented
fish and plant life in all of B.C.," says Jeff
Margriave, resident scientist at the Aquarium.

But this much is known about the Belcarra site.
Inside Bedwell Bay, on the eastern side of the
proposed park, are three shipwrecks, including
an old minesweeper. Elsewhere, there are
hundreds of varieties of plants, kelp, fish, crabs,
starfish, anenomes, shrimp and jellyfish.

The project supervisor, Gwyn Shipman, is an
experienced diver in the coastal waters and
a volunteer for the public aquarium.

The other crew members are Caroline Hardon,
a former Douglas College biology student, Herb
Herunter, BSc in marine biology, Selma Low,
BSc in marine mammals, Mike Magee, another

Douglas College Student, and Heide Sutherland,
BSc and an experienced diver in B.C. and the
tropics.

Work began on the Belcarra Project for these
six people in July with a preliminary survey
of the life in Bedwell Bay and Indian Arm.

The five miles of coastline around Belcarra
Regional Park were first studied with the help
of Diver Propulsion Vehicles (DPV) at the 60
foot and 30 foot levels.

A pair of divers would go underwater for this
first survey while another crew member stayed
aboard the Medusa Il educational vessel to plot
the changes in one habitat.

One diver would control the DPV while the other
clung to the driver's tank. To inform the

Medusa II of changes in the bottom strata
structure, Pelican floats were sent to the surface
at regular intervals.

continued on page 4

 

Cat-A-Lot
Cats constantly catch the curiousity of
Canadians. Fat and fanciful, these felines

are furry, frumpy and often our finnickiest
friends.

Cats, their moods and personalities, will

be the focus of a special noon hour project
by Douglas College theatre program speech
students on Thursday, October 17.

"Poems and poses, music and moods are the
media we'll use in 'Cat-A-Lot’," says
instructor Gwyneth Harvey, who will be
working with choreographer Jamie
Zagoudakis for this special presentation.

Cat-A-Lot will be shown at 12:30 p.m.,
Thursday, October 17, in the performance
theatre.

 

 

 

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