Native Plant Series #4: Coast Live Oak Woodlands

Oak woodlands are so characteristic and unique to our state that many think the plant community should be declared California’s state vegetation type. Not sure what a plant community is? Take a look at our introductory post to the Morro Bay Native Plant Series, an exploration of our watershed’s diverse native flora! The term “woodland” is used instead of “forest” because the canopies in a woodland rarely overlap, allowing for more space and sunlight between trees. Woodlands also typically occur on drier soils and at lower elevations than forests. While oak woodlands occur in other states, most of …

Help Put Morro Bay on the Bioblitz map: Snapshot Cal Coast 2018

June 15, 2018 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program bio blitz bioblitz California Academy of Sciences California MPAs estuary iNaturalist Marine Protected Area MBNEP morro bay snapshot cal coast Blog Posts

Paula and Tom enter observations into iNaturalist during the Snapshot Cal Coast 2018 effort.

What is Snapshot Cal Coast bioblitz? During a bioblitz, citizen scientists document all living things in a certain area, during a specific period of time. Estuary Program staff and volunteers participate in an annual bioblitz called Snapshot Cal Coast, which is hosted by the California Academy of Sciences. This large-scale effort aims to document plants and animals all along the California coast, during a particular week in June. Participants are asked to complete their bioblitzes in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and to focus on intertidal zones (those areas that may be submerged during high tide and exposed during low tides). Help …

Sea Star Wasting Disease Monitoring Update

June 8, 2018 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program estuary MBNEP Melissa Douglas Melissa Miner morro bay rocky intertidal netwwork sea star seastar star fish starfish wasting disease wasting syndrome Blog Posts

Last year, we wrote a post about the Sea Star Wasting Syndrome, a disease that was causing mass mortality of sea stars along the Pacific Coast from Baja California to the Gulf of Alaska. The syndrome is a general description of symptoms found in affected sea stars. Typically, lesions appear on the surface of the stars followed by decay surrounding the lesions, leading to fragmentation of the sea star’s body and eventual death. According to biological oceanographer and microbial ecologist Ian Hewson from Cornell University, this disease is by far the largest marine disease event ever seen. Hewson’s …

Photograph Friday: Predators and Prey Around Morro Bay

May 18, 2018 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program biodiversity estuary food chain food web morro bay predator prey watershed Photograph Friday

A coyote stands, alert, in a field at El Chorro Regional Park.

The Morro Bay estuary and watershed are home to many species of plants and animals. The ability of this small geographic area to support such biodiversity is part of what makes it special. The animals around Morro Bay form complex food webs in which some species are both predator and prey. The following images give a glimpse into these relationships. If you have taken photographs that illustrate predator and prey relationships in or around the Morro Bay estuary, we’d love to see them! Post them to our Facebook page, tag us on Instagram, or email …

Morro Bay Estuary Poetry Contest Winners 2018 Announced

May 11, 2018 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program coalesce books coalesce bookstore earth day estuary karen kirby kevin patrick sullivan marnie parker morro bay national poetry month poetry Blog Posts

We look forward to April every year. The wildflowers are blooming, the bay view is ever-changing between thick fog, sunshine, and wave-whipping wind. April is also when we recognize Earth Day and celebrate National Poetry Month. At the Estuary Program, we like to bring all of these spring happenings together with a poetry contest that asks people to capture the essence of the Morro Bay estuary in haiku and free verse poems. The poems are judged anonymously and receive points for form, creativity, imagery, and adherence to theme. This year, the 5th anniversary of the contest, a record 101 poets from …

From Seas to Trees, Plastic Pollution Takes a Toll

April 27, 2018 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program cleanup coast ecoslo estuary litter MBNEP microbead microplastic morro bay plastic plastic ban trash trash free sea Blog Posts

When you look at this picture, what do you see? You might note Morro Rock, the waves washing along the shore, bits of brown kelp, green algae, a shell, and other organic beach debris. How about this picture? At first glance, this second picture might look just like the first, but it isn’t quite. That green blob that looks like it might be algae is actually a tennis ball buried in the sand. And, some of that stringy organic-looking beach debris is actually fishing line, tossed and tangled with strands of plant debris. It is easy to look at …

Native Plant Series #2: Southern Coastal Scrub

April 20, 2018 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program black hill black sage california sagebrush coastal scrub conservation drought estuary morro bay national estuary program morro bay state park native plants plant community rain watershed Blog Posts

The Southern coastal scrub plant community is one of the most common plant communities found in our watershed. Not sure what a plant community is? Take a look at our introductory post to the Morro Bay Native Plant Series, an exploration of our watershed’s diverse native flora! Climatic conditions, soil type, topography, and other features determine what types of plants will grow in a particular region, and the coastal scrub plant community occurs on relatively dry soils in areas where a Mediterranean climate prevails. The Mediterranean climate exists along the Central Coast of California along with a handful …

Citizen Scientists Make a Difference for Morro Bay

April 13, 2018 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program Audubon citizen science ecoslo estuary iNaturalist marine debris MBNEP morro bay noaa Blog Posts

We used the Trash Tracker for the first time at our inaugural Pickup and Paddle event in 2017. We're excited to continue using it this year!

While not everyone can be a marine biologist, a meteorologist, or a conservation ecologist, almost anyone can help contribute to the wealth of knowledge that these experts draw from in their work. Our own Monitoring program uses data gathered by citizen scientist volunteers and staff members to keep an eye on long-term trends in water quality, bacteria levels, and other factors that influence stream and bay health. In honor of National Citizen Science Day tomorrow, we’re sharing a few ways that you can help move science forward at home and beyond. Marine debris projects Clean Swell This simple app created …

Field Updates March 2018: Eelgrass Transplanting and Sediment Sampling

April 6, 2018 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program california conservation creek eelgrass estuary field fieldwork los osos MBNEP morro bay redd restoration salmon spawn steelhead transplant trout volunteer Blog Posts

No, that’s not a grass skirt. That is 25 eelgrass rhizomes tied onto rebar, ready to be planted.

Fulfilling our mission to protect and restore the Morro Bay estuary for people and animals requires a lot of hard work in the field. At the Estuary Program, that often means spending time doing research and monitoring work out on the water. Read on to see the progress that our staff and volunteers have made in our eelgrass work during March of 2018. Eelgrass In the last few months, you might have seen our staff and volunteers in waders at Coleman Beach or trudging through the mud in the back bay during the last few months. They have been busy …

Photograph Friday: Spring Rain in Morro Bay

March 30, 2018 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program drought estuary los osos MBNEP morro bay photographs precipitation rain rain gauge rainfall storm stormwater water Blog Posts

At the Estuary Program office, we are always excited to see the rain come down. When enough rain falls, creeks flow at adequate levels, giving fish and other aquatic wildlife a better chance to survive and thrive. On the other hand, rain can wash trash, sediment, and other substances into storm drains, creeks, and out into the bay. It’s important to make sure that we dispose of trash, pet waste, debris, and chemicals properly. so that they can’t catch a ride into our waterways. Today, we are sharing some of our favorite pictures of the most recent storm. If you …