LiMPETS is a community science program that monitors the coastal ecosystems of California and helps youth develop a scientific understanding of the ocean. LiMPETS monitors the biology in rocky intertidal and sandy beach ecosystems and aims to provide publicly accessible, scientifically sound, long-term data to inform marine resource management and the scientific community.
Effective Education Outcomes
Our partners at UC Davis profiled LiMPETS in the scientific journal Biological Conservation: “Youth-focused community science.”
Last month, staff from the Greater Farallones Association and the National Marine Sanctuaries braved the rainy weather on the Sonoma Coast to monitor the rocky intertidal! 🌊🌿🐚
🌞 We collected tidepool organism data for both the LiMPETS project and @calacademy’s #SolsticeSeaStarSearch. 🤩
🌟 This superstar team counted and measured over 100 Ochre Sea Stars in the rain! 🌧
Community science programs like LiMPETS and iNaturalist empower people from all bckgrounds to participate in meaningful data collection, helping National Marine Sanctuary managers monitor the health of our coastal ecosystems. 🌎✨
#CommunityScience #SeaStarSearch #Pisaster #StarFish #LiMPETS #ONMS #RockyIntertidal #iNaturalist #Tidepooling #TidepoolTuesday
🌊 Halloween Creature Feature: Polychaete Worm 🎃
This spooky season, let’s dive into the eerie world of the Neries genus of polychaete worms, also known as the ragworm! With their ghostly segments and wriggling forms, these marine creatures might just haunt your thoughts.
👻 Key Facts:
• Habitat: Dwelling in sandy and muddy seabeds, these worms are the ghoulish guardians of our benthic habitats.
• Diet: Carnivorous scavengers, they feast on detritus and small prey, making them the ultimate oceanic cleanup crew.
• Adaptations: Armed with bristle-like setae, they glide through the sediment like specters in the night.
🔍 Why They Matter: Neries worms are vital for maintaining the health of marine ecosystems, helping recycle nutrients and providing a feast for predators. Their eerie presence indicates a thriving underwater world!
This Halloween, remember that even the creepiest creatures play a crucial role in nature! Follow for more spine-tingling marine life features! #Halloween #MarineMonsters #Neries #PolychaeteWorms #OceanHorrors
🌎 Happy Earth Day!! 🌍
Them: What do you love about EARTH?
Us: The Ocean! 🤣
💙💚🩵
These Velella velella, also known as By-the-Wind Sailors were seen moseying through the tidepools.
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When not washing up on the shore in the thousands, this blue hydrozoan floats on the surface of the ocean where the wind pushes on its sail and its tentacles catch plankton in the water below.
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#EARTH #OneOcean #CommunityScience #RockyIntertidal #Beaches #Tidepools #SailAway #Velella #EarthDay
✨️the best vibes ✨️
Take a moment to pause & breathe with the ocean #TidepoolTuesday
Dancing into the weekend like this Winged Kelp and wishing we were at the California Seaweed Festival! 🌱🌱
Alaria marginata, the Winged Kelp or Wakame, is a brown algae found in the low to subtidal north of Point Conception. 🪽🌿
Even though this kelp has a chemical defense against its mollusk predators, it`s completely edible (& delicious) to humans. 🥘🥢
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#PhycologyFriday #Algae #California #Seaweed #Festival #caseaweed23 #Alaria
Happy #NationalSeaSlugDay! 🌊
🌎 Worldwide there are over 3000 species of nudibranchs, aka sea slugs. Of those roughly 180 call the California Coast home. Here are a few of our favorites.
In Order of Appearance
👑 Noble Dorid (Peltodoris nobilis)
🎉 Festive Tritonid (Tritonia festiva)
🏄 San Diego Dorid (Diaulula sandiegensis)
🦄 Horned Nudibranch (Hermissenda crassicornis)
🤡 Clown Dorid (Triopha catalinae)
🪩 Opalescent Nudibranch (Hermissenda opalescens)
#Nudibranch #Gastropoda #SeaSlugDay #RockyIntertidal #Tidepooling
School is in session!!!
Sandy Beach Monitoring field trips are in full swing, allowing students to get up close and personal with the Pacific Mole Crab.
Links are in our bio to learn more or to sign your students up to collect population data on this important indicator species.
#LiMPETSMonitoring #Emeritaanaloga #SandCrabs #Plankton #IndicatorSpecies #Ecology #CommunityScience
Did you know that purple urchins have tube feet they use to move along surfaces and bring food to their mouths. They`ll reach out in water for anything they can use as camouflage too, like rocks or shells.
Remember to get outside and catch those last moments of summer before they`re gone.
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#limpetsnews #weekendvibes
Happy #TidepoolTuesday!!!
How many species can you identify?
🌊🌿🦀🐚
#RockyIntertidal #Invertebrates
Happy Monday Everyone!
Getting motivated on a Monday morning can be challenging, but if this seal can do it, so can you! 🦭 It`s time to get up and take on the new school year!
#BackToSchool #MarineMammalMonday #Phoca #California #SealsofInstagram #HarborSeal
Wishing we can stay in weekend mode a lil bit longer... like this sand crab and her clutch of eggs.
#sandybeach #PacificMoleCrab
We hope everyone is staying cool during this heatwave!! We headed to the coast and found some snails and waves in overcast conditions.
#tidepools #rockweed #whelks #scouringpad #marincounty #waveaction
