Please note: Unseen Oceans will open at 12 noon on Wed., June 18.
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Snapshot Cal Coast is 10! From June 1 to June 30, help us document California's incredible coastal biodiversity on your own or at a bioblitz event near you.
Every summer, the Academy's Center for Biodiversity and Community Science—with support from the California Ocean Protection Council, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the MPA (Marine Protected Area) Collaborative Network, and many other partners—mobilizes communities from Del Norte to San Diego to make and share observations of plants, animals, and seaweeds along the California coast using the iNaturalist app.
Snapshot Cal Coast focuses on the rocky intertidal, but data from any coastal-influenced habitats along the California Coast, including sandy beaches, bays, wetlands, and docks, are important. By creating a real-time, statewide snapshot of current species ranges, we're building a community of observers that provides valuable data for scientists at local, regional, and state levels, and answering targeted research questions in support of the California Coast.
Thanks for participating—and we'll see you at the seaside soon!
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Getting started is a snap!
Participating in Snapshot Cal Coast is as easy and fun as a day at the beach. Get started in six easy steps:
- Download the iNaturalist app for iOS or Android.
- Create an account to start making observations.
- Head to the coast on your own time or during a bioblitz to make and share observations of plants and animals you see, especially species on our "most wanted" list (see below).
- Observe during low tide. You can use this tool made by our team to find low tides anywhere in California. Or you can use NOAA's tide table to find exact times for low tides near you.
- Spread the word with hashtag #SnapshotCalCoast!
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Keep tidepool etiquette top of mind
- Observe things where you find them. Never remove animals, rocks, shells, seaweeds, or plants from the tidepools.
- Walk gently, taking care to avoid stepping on animals or seaweeds.
- Do not “roll” rocks. Animals living on the underside of rocks can only survive there.
- Be aware of the wildlife around you and try to minimize disturbances.
- Be careful! Tidepools and rocky shorelines are slippery, and tides and waves can catch you off guard. Never turn your back on the ocean.
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Find and join an event near you
Alameda County
June 8, 10 a.m.–12 p.m.: Snapshot Aquatic Park Estuary and Cleanup at Aquatic Park, Berkeley. Hosted by Shark Stewards and UC Berkeley Ocean Society. Register here.
June 14, 10 a.m - 1 p.m. Lake Merritt Bioblitz at Lake Merritt Boating Center docks and shore at 658 Bellevue Ave. | Hosted by Rotary Nature Center Friends, No registration required
Humboldt County
June 26, 8 a.m. Agate Beach at Sue - Meg State Park | Hosted by California State Parks No registration required for more questions email here
June 27, 8 a.m Agate Beach at Sue - Meg State Park | Hosted by California State Parks No registration required for more questions email here
June 28, 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. Baker Beach, Trinidad | Hosted by California Academy of Sciences and Trinidad Coastal Land Trust Register Here
Los Angeles County
June 14, 8:30 a.m.–10 a.m.: Snapshot Cal Coast Tidepool Bioblitz at Bluff Cove in Rancho Palos Verdes. Hosted by Heal the Bay. Register here.
Marin County
June 28, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Bioblitz and Interpretation Tabling at Angel Island State Park | Hosted by California State Parks. No registration needed
Mendocino County
June 15, 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. Headlands Trail Bioblitz at Mendocino Headlands State Park | Hosted by California State Parks and Mendocino Area Parks Association Register Here
June 22, 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. Big River Haul Road Bioblitz at Mendocinos Headlands State Park | Hosted by California State Parks and Mendocino Area Parks Association Register Here
Monterey County
June 1, 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Tidepool Safari - BioBlitz at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve hosted by California State Parks and California Department of Fish and Wildlife | No registration needed, email here if you have questions
June 6, 8:30 a.m - 12:30 p.m Underwater BioBlitz at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve hosted by California State Parks | Email here to register
Orange County
June 2, 9:30 a.m. Dana Point Bioblitz. Hosted by City of Dana Point. Email Bernie to register.
June 18, 8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m. Los Trancos Bioblitz Hosted by Crystal Cove State Park Email Victoria to register
Santa Barbara County
May 30, 8–10 a.m.: Snapshot Beach Walk at Campus Point at Coal Oil Point Preserve. Hosted by MPA Collaborative Network. Register here.
San Diego County
June 1, 8 a.m - 10 a.m | Bioblitz at The La Jolla Tidepools just South of Cuvier Park Hosted by California Department of Fish and Wildlife. No registration needed, email here if you have questions.
June 7, 9 a.m - 11 a.m. | Bilingual BioBlitz at Tijuana Slough Wildlife Refuge. Hosted by San Diego Natural History Museum. Register here.
San Luis Obispo County
June 3, 11 a.m. Leffingwell Landing State Park Bioblitz | Hosted by California State Parks, No registration needed. Email here with any questions
June 27, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Bioblitz Pop Up on the Beach at Pismo State Beach | Hosted by California State Parks, No registration needed. Email here with any questions
June 29, 9 a.m. Estero Bluffs State Park Bioblitz | Hosted by California State Parks, No registration needed. Email here with any questions
San Mateo County
June 13, 7 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. | Bioblitz at Pillar Point Reef, Half Moon Bay. Hosted by California Academy of Sciences. Register here.
June 14, 7 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. | Queer Tidepooling at Pigeon Point, Pescadero | Hosted by Queer Surf and California Academy of Sciences Register Here
Most-wanted species
In addition to documenting as many species as possible from as many places as possible, we are also interested in learning more about a handful of “most-wanted” species and groups. These include introduced species for which we have limited data on their ranges, species whose ranges are affected by changing oceanic conditions and habitat modification, and species that are affected by emerging diseases.
Check out the iNaturalist Most Wanted Species Guide for more information.
Native rocky intertidal species
Anemones
- Anthopleura artemisia (Moonglow Anemone)
- Anthopleura buttermeieri
- Anthopleura elegantissima (Aggregating Anemone)
- Anthopleura mariae
- Anthopleura sola (Sunburst Anemone)
- Anthopleura xanthagrammica (Giant Green Anemone)
Abalone
- Haliotis cracherodii (Black Abalone)
- Haliotis kamtschatkana (Pinto Abalone)
- Haliotis fulgens (Green Abalone)
- Haliotis rufescens (Red Abalone)
Snails in the genus Nucella
- Nucella canaliculata (Channeled Dogwinkle)
- Nucella emarginata (Emarginate Dogwinkle)
- Nucella lamellosa (Wrinkled Purple)
- Nucella ostrina (Striped Dogwinkle)
Snails in the genus Tegula
- Tegula aureotincta (Gilded Tegula)
- Tegula brunnea (Brown Tegula)
- Tegula eiseni (Western Banded Tegula)
- Tegula funebralis (Black Tegula)
- Tegula gallina (Speckled Tegula)
- Tegula montereyi (Monterey Tegula)
- Tegula pulligo (Dusky Tegula)
Chitons
- Lepidozona spp.
- Mopalia spp.
Lottia gigantea (Owl Limpet)
Nudibranchs
- Acanthodoris nanaimoensis (Nanaimo Horned Dorid)
- Felimare californiensis (California Blue Dorid)
Strongylocentrtus purpurartus (Pacific Purple Sea Urchin)
Kelps
- Alaria marginata (Winged Kelp)
- Egregia menziesii (Feather-boa Kelp)
- Hedophyllum sessile (Sea Cabbage)
- Laminaria setchelli and Laminaria sinclairii
- Macrocystis pyrifera (Giant Kelp)
- Nereocystis luetkana (Bull Kelp)
- Postelsia palmaeformis (Sea Palm)
Non-native species
Seaweeds
- Sargassum horneri (Devil Weed)
- Sargassum muticum (Japanese Wireweed)
- Undaria pinnatifida (Wakame)
Watersipora Bryozoans
Tunicates
- Botrylloides giganteum
- Botrylloides violaceus (Chain Tunicate)
- Botryllus schlosseri (Star Tunicate)
- Didemnum vexillum (Sea Vomit)
Crabs
- Carcinus maenas (European Green Crab)
- Eriocheir sinensis (Chinese Mitten Crab)
Mud Snails
- Batillaria attramentaria (Japanese False Cerith)
- Tritia obsoleta (Eastern Mudsnail)
- Urosalpinx cinerea (Eastern Oyster Drill)
Worms
- Ficopomatus enigmaticus (Australian Tubeworm)
How we are using these data?
Observations contributed by volunteers, community, and community scientists during Snapshot Cal Coast and year-round via iNaturalist make up an increasingly large proportion of our knowledge of biodiversity over space and time on the California coast. Our team—a collaboration between the California Academy of Sciences, the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC), and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)—is building the capacity to use these crowdsourced community-contributed observations to understand and monitor biodiversity across California’s coastal and marine protected areas.
Our data science efforts were initiated by Dr. Giovanni Rapacciuolo and are now led by Dr. Natalie Low and focus on developing innovative approaches and tools to translate crowdsourced community-contributed observations into meaningful indicators of biodiversity change on the California coast in support of California’s long-term MPA Monitoring Action Plan and the Ocean Protection Council's Strategic Plan. In particular, we are now focusing on mobilizing the community of volunteer naturalists, community, and community scientists to power an Early Warning and Forecasting System for biodiversity change on the California coast.
This system will combine crowdsourced community-contributed observations with state-of-the-art ecological models to track key metrics of ocean and coastal health over time (e.g. distribution and abundance of native species, spread of invasive species, emergence of marine disease) and forecast changes in those metrics associated with a changing climate. This effort will provide resource managers with the tools necessary to slow or stop biodiversity loss in California’s coastal and marine habitats and will also empower community scientists to take an active role in conserving biodiversity.
You can find out more about how we are using data contributed by the community during Snapshot Cal Coast and year-round via iNaturalist, as well as explore and interact with our findings, by visiting this website. You can also watch a short talk by Dr. Rapacciuolo about our data analysis efforts.
Tidepools are where beauty, biodiversity, and culture intersect. Start exploring these coastal treasures today!
Plan your California tidepool adventure with this guide to what you'll see, what to wear, where to go, and more.
The wade is over! View a gallery of wildlife photos from Snapshot Cal Coast that made the biggest splash.
Contact us
Community science at the Academy is led by Rebecca Johnson. Questions? Want to get involved? We'd love to hear from you.