Snapshot Cal Coast 2021: Calling All Community Scientists to Document Morro Bay’s Diversity

Most of California, and the entire California coast, is identified as a Global Biodiversity Hotspot, called the California Floristic Province. Like the other Global Hotspots, this area has a high number of species that are endemic, meaning that they are native to this area and are found nowhere else. Every year, The California Academy of Sciences (CAS) asks people to document this extreme biodiversity through a bioblitz event called Snapshot Cal Coast. During the bioblitz, citizen scientists use iNaturalist to document all of the flora and fauna that they find in a specific coastal location. This year, the sixth …

Field Updates May 2021: Spring Eelgrass Monitoring

June 4, 2021 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program california sea hare eelgrass field updates field work fieldwork MBNEP monitoring morro bay morro bay estuary morro bay national estuary program scientific monitoring sea hare transect monitoring water quality Field Updates

Makenzie, our Monitoring Projects Coordinator, at our site located on the Sandspit. Staff access the site via stand up paddle boards

A quick introduction… Hi everyone! My name is Bret, and I am the new Monitoring Projects Manager for the Estuary Program. I’m a recent transplant from the Midwest, but the West Coast has been calling to me for quite some time. As I get settled here in Morro Bay, I look forward to learning more about our estuary as well as how to be a steward of our watershed. I arrived in Morro Bay at the beginning of April, just in time for bioassessment (you can read more about bioassessment in our April Field Updates blog post). I really …

Morro Bay Wildlife Spotlight: Striped Shore Crab (Pachygrapsus crassipes)

May 14, 2021 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program California tidepool estuary estuary wildlife MBNEP morro bay morro bay animals morro bay estuary Morro Bay tidepools morro bay wildlife what to see in Morro Bay wildlife in Morro Bay Wildlife spotlight

a striped shore crab peeks out from under a rock.

Striped shore crab identification and habitat What striped shore crabs look like The striped shore crab is a type of crustacean, about one to two inches (or 3 to 5 centimeters) wide. Their carapace (i.e. hard, upper shell) is a very dark purple, red, or even green, and lined with bright yellow-green stripes. Though this color combination makes striped shore crabs eye catching when you see them out in the open, it helps them disappear into dark, rocky crevices where they hide amongst sea lettuce, rock weed, and bits of kelp. Its pincers, also known as chelae, are often a …

Field Updates April 2021: Bioassessment Highlights and Volunteer Support

May 7, 2021 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program aquatic bugs bioassessment bmi bullfrog creek health creeks healthy creeks invasive bullfrog macroinvertebrates MBNEP morro bay morro bay estuary morro bay national estuary program morro bay volunteer Rocks stonefly volunteers Blog Posts

Staff member holds a rock during bioassessment

What is bioassessment? For those of you unfamiliar with this effort, our annual spring bioassessment is our largest survey effort of the year. This survey effort focuses on the biological assessment of ten local creeks within the Morro Bay watershed, using an evaluation protocol created by the Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) and the State of California. Bioassessment surveys utilize a number of different criteria to assess creek health, with the primary focus being the assessment of benthic macroinvertebrates (BMIs). BMIs can be used as a proxy to determine stream health, since the abundance or absence of …

MORRO BAY WATERSHED NATIVE PLANT SERIES: Riparian Plant Communities

April 23, 2021 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program creek estuary estuary program groundwater los osos MBNEP morro bay native plant native plant series native plants phreatophyte phreatophytes riparian water table watershed willow Blog Posts

This series of native plant blog posts has explored the different plants found throughout the Morro Bay watershed. A watershed is an area where freshwater creeks and streams flow from higher ground down towards the ocean. Riparian zone plants reach deep when streams run dry In the Morro Bay Watershed, some creeks and streams flow year round, and some don’t. Even though they’re not full of water, dry creek beds are still bordered by vegetation. This is due to the presence of groundwater, which is water that exists beneath Earth’s surface in soil pore spaces (the space between …

Bioassessment Survey Results 2020: Tracking the Health of Local Creeks

March 26, 2021 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program bioassessment creeks habitat habitat assessment habitat survey healthy habitat macroinvertebrates macros MBNEP morro bay morro bay national estuary program wildlife Field Updates

One of the goals of the Estuary Program is to monitor the bay and the lands that surround it to better understand conditions and how they are changing over time. As part of this effort, the Estuary Program conducts spring bioassessment surveys. This data allows us to assess the health of our creeks and determine if they support sensitive aquatic life. What is bioassessment? Each spring, staff and volunteers head out to local creeks to collect habitat measurements. These measurements include the depth of the water, the size of the rocks in the stream, and the amount of tree cover …

MORRO BAY WATERSHED NATIVE PLANT SERIES: Coast Live Oak Woodlands

March 19, 2021 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program botany california california live oak california native plants central coast elfin forest estuary hiking Morro Bay live oak los osos oaks reserve MBNEP morro bay native plant series native plants Blog Posts

Coast Live Oak Woodlands Are Unique 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. Where to find oak …

Community Scientists Make a Difference for Morro Bay

February 19, 2021 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program Audubon citizen science community science ecoslo estuary hummingbirds iNaturalist marine debris MBNEP morro bay noaa science activities weather Blog Posts

A plastic sand toy left on rocks at the beach.

While not everyone can be a marine biologist, a meteorologist, or a conservation ecologist, anyone can contribute to the wealth of data that these experts use and study. Our own Monitoring program uses data gathered by community 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. (We are not working with volunteers at this time due to COVID-19 precautions, but we look forward to having our volunteers back in the field as soon as it’s safe to do so.) Today, we’re sharing …

Morro Bay Watershed Native Plant Series: Maritime and Mixed Chaparral

February 12, 2021 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program beauty and bounty of Morro Bay california native plants estuary MBNEP morro bay morro bay national estuary program native plant series native plants plant communities Blog Posts

Where do chaparral plant communities grow? Covering almost nine percent of the state, chaparral is one of the most widespread plant communities in California. Take a look at our introductory post to the Morro Bay Native Plant Series, an exploration of our watershed’s diverse native flora! Where can I find chaparral plant communities in Morro Bay? In the Morro Bay watershed, we see chaparral plant communities occurring in close association with the southern coastal scrub community and on higher, drier slopes. Since they are typically further inland from the immediate coast, chaparral plants experience greater temperature fluctuations (hotter summers …

First Flush in the Morro Bay Watershed: What goes down the drain?

January 29, 2021 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program central coast clean water first flush MBNEP morro bay morro bay estuary nitrates non-point-source pollution nonpoint source pollution pollution runoff storm water stormwater water pollution Blog Posts

Each fall, many of us busily prepare for the first big rain of the wet season. Homeowners might clean out gutters and put away patio furniture. Cities often run their street sweepers and vacuum out storm drains to prevent flooding. This past fall, the Estuary Program prepared for what is known as First Flush monitoring. What’s the harm in a little runoff? In the course of daily life, pollutants build up on our streets and sidewalks. Things like oil spills from cars, fertilizer from landscaping, pet waste, and trash can gather. When the first big rain arrives, these …