Bowker Creek Estuary at Oak Bay
The Salish Sea estuary at Oak Bay is an extension of creek habitat, where underwater eelgrass, tidal shoreline beaches, sand and gravel provide spawning habitat for forage fish and other shoreline creatures.
Survey for Forage Fish in the Bowker Creek Estuary
Surf Smelt and Pacific Sand Lance are two species that spawn on sand-gravel beaches near the high tide line.
Volunteer teams work at low tide year-round to collect samples from beach sediment that might contain eggs. PSS hosts training events on a rolling basis. Participate in community science and experience the beach in a whole new way!
The Friends of Bowker Creek invite volunteers to participate with us in the BEACH Program with Peninsula Streams and Shorelines (PSS) to assist in ongoing studies and counting of populations of forage fish that provide important food sources for salmon and the rest of the food web. We invite new volunteers for sampling sessions on beaches near the mouth of the creek. Send us an email if you want to find out more and join in this valuable Salish Sea research.
Meet the Forage Fish
Pacific Sand Lance
Ammodytes personatus
Surf Smelt
Hypomesus pretiosus
Pacific Sand Lance are slender, silvery forage fish commonly found in the shallow, sandy-bottomed waters around Southern Vancouver Island. They are known for their unique behaviour of burrowing into sand to rest and avoid predators. Pacific Sand Lance spawn on sandy beaches during winter months.
Surf Smelt are small, schooling fish that inhabit nearshore marine waters and spawn year-round on gravel beaches along Southern Vancouver Island, especially during high tides at night. Their eggs adhere to coarse sand and gravel, where they develop just above the intertidal zone.