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The Coast with the Most
Snapshot Cal Coast yielded more iNaturalist observations than ever. We did the beachcombing for you and curated a gallery of exceptional coastal creatures.
August 14, 2024
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A bat star adorns a Mendocino County tidepool. Nicole Ravicchio © 2024 California Academy of Sciences
What's better than a day at the beach? Thirty of them!
From June 1 through June 30, more than 6,000 people across California participated in Snapshot Cal Coast, Cal Academy’s annual campaign to document coastal biodiversity. Partners from Del Norte to San Diego Counties hosted 34 bioblitz events that resulted in a record-breaking 81,935 (and counting) iNaturalist observations—vital data that will help inform coastal conservation policy developed by the California Ocean Protection Council.
But Snapshot isn’t just about the numbers. It’s about the moments of connection between humans and nature and the inspiring experience of exploring nature together.
But...it’s also about the sea slugs. And the sea stars. And the shovelnose guitarfish. And the 5,000+ other species that make the California coast like nowhere else on Earth. Scroll down for three galleries of noteworthy observations curated by the Center for Biodiversity and Community Science (CBCS)—and see how you can make a difference just by snapping a photo.
The most unusual
The animals in this gallery are either endangered, rarely photographed, or just plain odd—or all of the above.
An endangered northern blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus ssp. musculus) flashes its flukes. Photo © Jay Ballard, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
The beautiful shell of the pinto abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana) is one of the reasons it's at risk. Photo © thultz, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
California sheephead (Bodianus pulcher) is considered a vulnerable species due to overfishing. Photo © CallieSanDiego, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
The eyes of the California halibut (Paralichthys californicus) migrate to one side of its body as it matures. Photo © CallieSanDiego, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
The shell of the purple olive snail (Callianax biplicata) has been used by California Native tribes for thousands of years. Photo © M. Goff, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Purple sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) and an orange sea cucumber (Cucumaria miniata) are a cacophony of color. Photo © Olivia VanDamme, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Once common, black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) are now critically endangered. Photo © scsurflady, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
A juvenile great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) cruising the waters off Santa Cruz. Photo © Patricia Butter, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Near-threatened snowy plovers (Anarhynchus nivosus) nest in coastal dunes. Give them plenty of space! Photo © George Afghan, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
A brooding anemone (Epiactis prolifera) and a seaweed make their home on a black tegula snail (Tegula funebralis). Photo © Olivia VanDamme, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
The unusually shaped shovelnose guitarfish (Pseudobatos productus) is a near-threatened species. Photo © Lauren Glevanik, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Slow-growing giant California sea cucumbers (Apostichopus californicus) are susceptible to overfishing. Photo © Jeremy_Jodoin, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Hope blossoms for the sunflower star
Sea star wasting syndrome struck California in 2013–2014, with sunflower sea stars (Pycnopodia helianthoides) among the hardest hit. Ten years later, finding one of these critically endangered animals is cause for celebration. On June 23, we celebrated.
Academy staff joined partners from the Noyo Center for a dawn bioblitz in Mendocino County’s Headlands State Park. As Steinhart Aquarium biologist Lisa Larkin waded through a sea cave, she spotted a 12-armed sunflower star.
Steinhart Aquarium Curator Kylie Lev points out a critically endangered sunflower star in a sea cave in Mendocino County.
While this individual was relatively small, sunflower stars can exceed three feet across. Nicole Ravicchio © 2024 California Academy of Sciences
“It was incredibly moving to see it, especially since it’s one of only a handful of individuals seen statewide since 2014,” recalls Rebecca Johnson, PhD, director of CBCS. We’re hoping the sighting is a good sign for our statewide collaboration to save Pycnopodia from extinction.
The creatures below, however, are in no danger of disappearing anytime soon.
The most observed
From north to south, meet the most frequently observed animals in each county during Snapshot Cal Coast.
Del Norte, Humboldt, and Sonoma Counties: Ochre sea star (Pisaster ochraceus) Photo © Olivia VanDamme, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Mendocino County: Bat star (Patiria miniata) Photo © Esmeralda Plascencia, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
San Francisco County: Western gull (Larus occidentalis) and California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) (tie) Gull and sea lion photos © Susan Endres, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Alameda County: Snowy egret (Egretta thula) and black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) (tie) Egret and heron photos © Dario Taraborelli and drewskipoo, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Contra Costa County: Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Photo © Hydrocycler (Elizabeth Dougherty), licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties: Opalescent nudibranch (Hermissenda opalescens) Photo © Rebecca Johnson, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Monterey and San Diego Counties: California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) Photo © graham_coop, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
San Luis Obispo County: California brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis ssp. californicus) Photo © Jay Paroline, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Santa Barbara and Orange Counties: Striped shore crab (Pachygrapsus crassipes) Photo © Tom Minh Van, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Ventura County: Sunburst anemone (Anthopleura sola) Photo © Olivia VanDamme, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Los Angeles County: Western gull (Larus occidentalis) Photo © Susan Endres, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Knee-deep in nudibranchs
Nudibranchs, also known as sea slugs, pack a ton of charisma into a tiny package. This year, Snapshotters found more of these small wonders than ever, particularly in Central and Southern California tidepools.
Nat Low, PhD, CBCS’s biodiversity data specialist, reached out to nudibranch expert Jeff Goddard for his take on the population spike. "It's likely due to a shift from a La Niña to an El Niño phase, as well as ocean warming in the south," said the frequent Academy collaborator, who also noted that the idea is consistent with a previous finding.
The most beautiful (nudibranchs)
Still not convinced California tidepools are magic? These 12 sea slugs might change your mind.
White-spotted sea goddess (Doriopsilla albopunctata) Photo © alanarama3, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Tidepool school
One of the joys of Snapshot Cal Coast is watching tidepool novices become tidepool fanatics. This phenomenon was in full effect on June 10, when about 40 participants descended on San Mateo County’s Pigeon Point for a bioblitz co-hosted by Cal Academy and Queer Surf.
As surfers and wave riders, we spend so much time in the intertidal zone, yet many of us know very little about the creatures who live there. It was so special to bring our communities together and share in an exchange of knowledge and culture. There is so much queer ecology in the tidepools that helps affirm our own identities and experiences, and shows us that non-binary, queer, and trans people belong in coastal spaces.
, Founder/Director of Queer Surf
For CBCS Coordinator Olivia VanDamme, the capstone to a perfect event was introducing a seasoned surfer to their very first nudibranch: a pink Hopkins' rose.
Hopkins' rose nudibranchs (Ceratodoris rosacea) are a common sight in California tidepools. Photo © Rebecca Johnson, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
If you’re experiencing some Snapshot Cal Coast FOMO, we've achieved our mission. But don’t despair: Upcoming bioblitzes abound. Join the 30 Species Challenge during California Biodiversity Week (September 7–15), and keep your calendar clear in mid-December for our next Solstice Sea Star Search.
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