Sand and Algae near Monterey Fishermen’s Wharf

May 09, 2017 • 12:33 PM UTC

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Microorganisms

Maggie_M

I am a first-year graduate student in an Applied Marine and Watershed Sciences masters program at CSU Monterey Bay. I am interested in examining the natural world on all available scales. I have worked extensively in science museums, and I deeply believe in the value of informal science education that allows learning and exploration of nature through play and hands-on discovery.

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I stumbled upon a cool little beach next to Monterey’s Fishermen’s wharf. It seemed very protected, and was currently inhabited by a few harbor seal, who were laying on rocks just past the shore. It was low tide, and there were lots of exposed tide pools to the south side of the beach.

I took a little stroll to see what I could find. The exposed rocky habitats showed signs of disturbance similar to what I witnessed at Point Lobos, with accessible flat surfaces devoid of life. However, in the pools I saw anemones, shellfish, crabs, and even a couple of tiny fish.

There was a line of organic debris on the sand and lots of floating bits of algae in the water. The sand was very fine in the middle of the cove, and more course on the edges. I decided to sample the fine sand for viewing in the foldscope. I also took a couple bits of algae for closer examination.

Bonus picture: I stumbled across a creepy, just-big-enough-for-a-person-to-fit-in cave. Nope!

Sand and Algae near Monterey Fishermen’s Wharf

Maggie_M

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