On the morning of August 20, 2014, Dr. Rob Campbell, oceanographer with the Prince William Sound Science Center, visited Shelter Bay in Alaska's Prince William Sound and took the 25th year of photos at this Office of Response and Restoration long-term monitoring site in connection with the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

The photos, together with those taken elsewhere from other volunteers, confirm there has been an exceptional recruitment of mussels in 2014 and, further, that this represents the fourth major recruitment that has occurred in the region over the past quarter century.

This adds a significant piece of information to OR&R's understanding of shoreline biological variability. OR&R is fortunate to have Dr. Campbell once again divert from his monthly oceanographic tour of the Sound to visit this site, in addition to his volunteer effort last month to obtain photos of Mearns Rock. Trend data will be reported shortly.

For more information, contact Alan Mearns.

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