Mearns Rock 1990 Mearns Rock in 1990 is partially submerged and covered in Fucus (algae).

Mearns Rock 1991 The entire boulder is covered with gold-brown Fucus in 1991.

Mearns Rock 1992 In 1992, the boulder is about 50% covered with larger, older seaweed (mainly Fucus).

Mearns Rock 1993 In mid-1993, Fucus covers about 20% of the boulder's surface.

Mearns Rock 1994 In 1994, Fucus has completely left the boulder, leaving it dominated by mussels and scattered barnacles.

Mearns Rock 1995 Fucus is making a comeback on the 1995 Mearns Rock.

Mearns Rock 1996 In 1996, a second "wave" of recovery has clearly taken hold.

Mearns Rock 1997 In 1997, the boulder is once again almost covered with the seaweed Fucus.

Mearns Rock 1998 Adult Fucus and a filamentous algae cover the boulder in 1998.

Mearns Rock 1999 The boulder's second crop of Fucus has matured and, in 1999, nearly covers the boulder.

Mearns Rock 2000 A heavy cover of a grayish, slimy seaweed has joined the Fucus in 2000.

Mearns Rock 2001 In 2001, the boulder is still covered by both old and young Fucus plants, other algae, barnacles, as well as small mussels.

Mearns Rock 2002 In 2002, the boulder is dominated by barnacles!

Mearns Rock 2003 In 2003, young Fucus and mussels have not colonized the rock, as we expected.

Mearns Rock 2004 The 2004 boulder has a heavy covering of young Fucus plants, and barnacle density remains high, but no mussels are visible.

Mearns Rock 2005 Conditions in 2005 are very similar to 2004.

Mearns Rock 2006 Conditions in 2006 are quite changed from 2005, particularly in the "saddle" area of the boulder.

Mearns Rock 2007 Conditions in 2007 are dramatically different than any previous year, since 1991.

Mearns Rock 2008 Almost all of the large Fucus plants covering the rock in 2007 are now gone.

Mearns Rock 2009 Conditions in 2009 are quite similar to 2008.

• Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Overview of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Includes links to many related resources, including photo galleries.

• Graphing Changes in Marine Life Abundance Try your hand at some marine biology! Follow these steps, designed for middle and high school students, to make a study of the marine life occupying a section, or quadrat, of Mearns Rock.

• Mearns Rock Time Series How does marine life recover from a major, one-time stress, such as an oil spill? As you will learn here, the answer is not simple.

• Northwest Bay Study Site Photos of one of our study sites, a rocky beach on an islet in Northwest Bay, shortly after high-pressure, hot-water washing in 1989, and again in 1998.

• Oil Spills along the Shore Oil spilled into the water, having been pushed by winds and currents, often reaches the shore.

• Response to the Exxon Valdez Spill Within hours after the tanker Exxon Valdez spilled nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound on March 24, 1989, a team of NOAA OR&R; scientists arrived on-scene.

• Summary Points: 10 Years of Intertidal Monitoring After the Exxon Valdez Spill A short summary of the main findings of NOAA biologists studying the effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on intertidal shorelines in Prince William Sound.