Monitoring Our Bay and Watershed

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We track the health of our bay and watershed through a robust, citizen-supported monitoring program. We collect data about water quality at more than a dozen sites with the help of highly trained and dedicated volunteers. We also monitoring issues of critical importance, such as eelgrass acreage and presence of important marine species in the bay.

The data we collect helps us understand:

  • How the bay is changing
  • Whether restoration projects are generating success
  • What future projects are needed
  • How to best educate the public about the state of our bay

Monitoring data also helps inform other research efforts to deepen our understanding and inform restoration in the bay and watershed.

Measureable Results
  • Monitor and map eelgrass extent in the Morro Bay estuary since 2002.
  • Collect, store, and share more than twenty five years of water quality data for the Morro Bay estuary and its freshwater tributaries.
  • Collect, analyze, and share bacteria data at eight sites in the bay each month.
  • Partner with dozens of volunteers who share an average of more than 650 hours of time each year to collect data for the Morro Bay National Estuary Program.