Bivalve comparison study at Clayton Beach from 1912 to recent

The purpose of the bivalve comparison study is to examine changes in the bivalve populations at Clayton Beach between 1912 and the present. Sea floor material off the coast of Clayton Beach was collected to create a railroad bed for the Bellingham and Skagit Interurban Railway in 1912 by a dredge ship. The dredged material contains well-preserved shells that represent an unbiased bulk sample of the benthic molluscan fauna in Samish Bay prior to 1912. Clayton Beach provides a unique opportunity to examine species diversity, population numbers, and size frequency of the whole bivalve fauna from a particular point in time prior to the introduction of invasive species, such as the Purple Varnish Clam (Nuttalia obscurata) and Manilla Clam (Venerupis philippinarum), and before major land development in the area. This presentation covers the progress from April 2015 to April 2016 and the major findings.