Nathan Early, a master’s student at the University of British Columbia, pins insects as a method of cataloging and preserving specimens to create a record of the biodiversity for long-term monitoring.

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One of the interesting species found during the blitz was luminous moss, also known as goblin’s gold. It was photographed in daylight (left photo) and at night using a UV light, which makes the moss glow (right photo). This darkness-loving moss was found in the shade of an uprooted tree. Other plants can easily outcompete it in areas with more light, but the moss has specialized cells that act like lenses able to harness even the faintest of light, which allows it to thrive in tucked-away nooks and crannies.

One of the interesting species found during the blitz was luminous moss, also known as goblin’s gold. It was photographed in daylight (first photo) and at night using a UV light, which makes the moss glow (second photo). This darkness-loving moss was found in the shade of an uprooted tree. Other plants can easily outcompete it in areas with more light, but the moss has specialized cells that act like lenses able to harness even the faintest of light, which allows it to thrive in tucked-away nooks and crannies.

Fungi and lichens on Quadra Island come in a dazzling array of forms and colors, clinging to rocks, tree bark, and branches. Among the showstoppers is the aptly named candy lichen (top photo, by John Reynolds)—its vivid hues and sugary crust make it look almost good enough to eat—and orange peel fungi (bottom left photo, by Arianne Nickels). These organisms play an important role in the forest, helping to cycle nutrients, create habitat for tiny invertebrates, and fix nitrogen in the soil. During the bioblitz, researchers and participants alike were drawn in by the tiny, otherworldly details revealed through a hand lens. They were able to get a closer look at a quiet but essential part of the island’s biodiversity.

Fungi and lichens on Quadra Island come in a dazzling array of forms and colors, clinging to rocks, tree bark, and branches. Among the showstoppers is the aptly named candy lichen (first photo, by John Reynolds)—its vivid hues and sugary crust make it look almost good enough to eat—and orange peel fungi (second photo, by Arianne Nickels). These organisms play an important role in the forest, helping to cycle nutrients, create habitat for tiny invertebrates, and fix nitrogen in the soil. During the bioblitz, researchers and participants alike were drawn in by the tiny, otherworldly details revealed through a hand lens. They were able to get a closer look at a quiet but essential part of the island’s biodiversity.

Life in the rocky intertidal zone must survive the extremes of being above and below the waterline. Red and green seaweeds cover rocks in Surge Narrows Park, near the surface where the currents rip past with rising and falling tides (left photo). At low tide, such organisms must be able to withstand exposure to heat, sunlight, and air. Hakai Institute marine ecologist Alyssa Gehman is accustomed to scrambling on slippery rocks to study these amazingly resilient species (right photo).

Life in the rocky intertidal zone must survive the extremes of being above and below the waterline. Red and green seaweeds cover rocks in Surge Narrows Park, near the surface where the currents rip past with rising and falling tides (first photo). At low tide, such organisms must be able to withstand exposure to heat, sunlight, and air. Hakai Institute marine ecologist Alyssa Gehman is accustomed to scrambling on slippery rocks to study these amazingly resilient species (second photo).

Between the high and low tide line on Quadra Island, bioblitz researchers uncovered a range of marine life, from the familiar to the extraordinary. Matt Whalen, a former postdoctoral scholar for the Hakai Institute, examined a red rock crab—one of the region’s more recognizable coastal residents (top left photo)—while Hakai researcher Amelia Nimmon studied an idotea, a leaflike isopod that camouflages so well it can disappear into a bed of seagrass (top right photo). Most surprising was the discovery of a basket star, a deep-sea species rarely seen in the shallows (bottom photo). With its intricate, curling arms adapted to snatch prey from strong currents, the basket star had likely been swept in by an unusually forceful tide near Seymour Narrows, off the west side of Quadra Island. Its unexpected appearance is a reminder of how dynamic coastal ecosystems can be.

Between the high and low tide line on Quadra Island, bioblitz researchers uncovered a range of marine life, from the familiar to the extraordinary. Matt Whalen, a former postdoctoral scholar for the Hakai Institute, examined a red rock crab—one of the region’s more recognizable coastal residents (first photo)—while Hakai researcher Amelia Nimmon studied an idotea, a leaflike isopod that camouflages so well it can disappear into a bed of seagrass (second photo). Most surprising was the discovery of a basket star, a deep-sea species rarely seen in the shallows (third photo). With its intricate, curling arms adapted to snatch prey from strong currents, the basket star had likely been swept in by an unusually forceful tide near Seymour Narrows, off the west side of Quadra Island. Its unexpected appearance is a reminder of how dynamic coastal ecosystems can be.

Hakai Institute researchers Margot Hessing-Lewis and Isaak Haberman work alongside Sandra Lindstrom, an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia, to press unique seaweeds for long-term preservation and to allow detailed examination of their morphology and structure (left photo). Among the finds was a lone individual from the red algae genus Symphyocladiella, its intricate cell structure revealed under the microscope (right photo). The rarity of this specimen during the bioblitz hints at its scarcity in local waters, raising questions about its distribution and ecology. Because many seaweeds are nearly indistinguishable by sight alone, each sample undergoes genetic sequencing to confirm its identity, shedding light on the diversity hidden throughout the coast.

Hakai Institute researchers Margot Hessing-Lewis and Isaak Haberman work alongside Sandra Lindstrom, an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia, to press unique seaweeds for long-term preservation and to allow detailed examination of their morphology and structure (first photo). Among the finds was a lone individual from the red algae genus Symphyocladiella, its intricate cell structure revealed under the microscope (second photo). The rarity of this specimen during the bioblitz hints at its scarcity in local waters, raising questions about its distribution and ecology. Because many seaweeds are nearly indistinguishable by sight alone, each sample undergoes genetic sequencing to confirm its identity, shedding light on the diversity hidden throughout the coast.

The world below the surface teems with strange and spectacular beauty. Leslie Harris, a senior collections manager at the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, examines a northern feather duster worm, its delicate tendrils unfurling like an undersea bloom (left photo). In a different corner of the submarine environment, a luminous opalescent nudibranch glides across the ocean floor, hunting for food (right photo).

The world below the surface teems with strange and spectacular beauty. Leslie Harris, a senior collections manager at the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, examines a northern feather duster worm, its delicate tendrils unfurling like an undersea bloom (first photo). In a different corner of the submarine environment, a luminous opalescent nudibranch glides across the ocean floor, hunting for food (second photo).

Under the microscope, the hidden world of marine invertebrates comes to light, in its beauty and brutality. Invertebrates act as pollinators, predators, decomposers, and recyclers, playing vital roles in maintaining ecosystem health and balance. A parasitic barnacle found inside a hermit crab was a standout discovery (first photo); it is capable of altering its host’s behavior and even castrating it to serve its own reproductive goals. Nearby, the fine details of a polychaete worm showcase the intricate forms of subtidal life (third photo). Even tiny crustaceans called amphipods reveal their own complex beauty when seen up close (second photo, by Brittany Cummings).

Under the microscope, the hidden world of marine invertebrates comes to light, in its beauty and brutality. Invertebrates act as pollinators, predators, decomposers, and recyclers, playing vital roles in maintaining ecosystem health and balance. A parasitic barnacle found inside a hermit crab was a standout discovery (top left photo); it is capable of altering its host’s behavior and even castrating it to serve its own reproductive goals. Nearby, the fine details of a polychaete worm showcase the intricate forms of subtidal life (bottom photo). Even tiny crustaceans called amphipods reveal their own complex beauty when seen up close (top right photo, by Brittany Cummings).