Cortes Island naturalist, professional diver and citizen scientist Mike Moore is heading up an effort in Cortes Bay to monitor Dungeness crab larvae as part of a study assessing the health of the Pacific Ocean.

It's part of the Sentinels of Change project organized by the Hakai Institute. The project is also supported by the Friends of Cortes Island environmental stewardship and education organization. Hakai institute is an arm of the Tula Foundation, a privately funded charitable organization based on the British Columbia coast.

The contents found within the light trap. Photo by Greg Osoba

Moore's monitoring station is situated on a dock in Cortes Bay, where every other day, until August 31, he pulls a light trap out of the water. After emptying the catch into a white tub, he takes photographs and inspects the contents, and then sends a report to the Hakai Institute.

Plastic tablespoons contain a murky sludge teeming with life. Photo by Greg Osoba.

Moore says Dungeness crab larvae are highly sensitive to changes in ocean acidity, temperature and salinity and are one piece of data in a very complex system.

In this report, CKTZ News joins Mike Moore dockside to see what the day's take is. Listen below for details: