The Persaud Catalogue: Scientific Journal Of Marine Biology: Survey 1, Malibu Lagoon.
This is the first article published in our newest newsletter titled, “The Persaud Catalogue: Scientific Journal Of Marine Biology”. In this journal, we will publish information concerning the various marine flora & fauna of certain places. This newsletter will publish sporadically, & not on a timed basis like The Persaud Catalog. This journal is affiliation with The Persaud Catalog, however, it is a separate entity. On May 13th, we have sent 3 field agents out to Malibu to collect information about the marine plants in Malibu Lagoon. They collected samples of the seaweed species that were found, & these samples were studied. In this article, we will state all of the most prominent species of Marine Flora in Malibu Lagoon that were found. We will state the density of these species, the place where it was found the most, & a detailed description of the species. Please note, this was done with the correct permits, do not attempt to imitate this survey without being aware of the permits necessary to do so. This is the first survey of 5 surveys in Malibu Lagoon that will be taken over the next 5 years. In the month of May, from 2023 to 2027, we will document all of the seagrasses we are able to find. This is the first surveying project of The Persaud Catalogue: Scientific Journal Of Marine Biology. At the end of the 5 year period, we will compile the results & published a finalized document.
The First Initial Survey Of Malibu Lagoon, & Malibu Lagoon State Beach
During the Initial Survey, we found there were 4 predominant species of seaweed along Malibu Lagoon. To be clear, all of our specimens were taken at 5:00 PM during the month of May, & some of these seagrasses are only found during certain months. We will conduct another survey on May 13th of 2024, & continue until May 2027.
Zostera Marina (Common Eelgrass / Seawrack)
We found our specimens of Zostera Marina on the Northern Side of the Malibu State Beach & nearby the area where the Malibu Lagoon meets the Pacific Ocean. We found 2 specimens, however, there were more specimens of this species dotted along the beach, the reason we did not take them is because there were various Marine Fauna nearby them, & we could not disturb them. Specimen No. 1 of this species is 6 feet & 11 inches (210.82 centimeters) long. This is rather unusual for Eelgrass in this area, as that usually only grows to be 3 to 4 feet (0.9144 to 1.2192 meters) in Malibu. Specimen No. 2 of this species is approximately 1 foot & 10 inches (55.88 centimeters) long. Both specimens were found wrapped around a little bunch of mussels, & were wrapped around another species of seagrass. This species is the second most prominent in the lagoon, & is most commonly found wrapped around bunches of mussels. There are so many bunches of mussels, that it can be found very commonly in the north end of the lagoon & beach because of how many mussels there are. It is in the highest density on the northern end of the lagoon because of this. Inside of the lagoon, it is not found very much though. This plant is rather easy to identify as it is extremely long, thin & green. It differs from the typical Devil Weed that is seen the most on California Beaches. It is between 1 & 1.2 centimeters (0.393701 & 0.472441 inches) wide & it can grow between 3 & 7.2 feet (0.9144 to 2.19456 meters in length. At its base, it can be found with a white-coloured stem. This species is most commonly found growing in the shallow marshes of Malibu Lagoon.
Sargassum horneri (Devil Weed)
We found 1 specimen of this species along the beach that was suitable for this purpose. This species was the most prominent & was found all over the beach, so much so that you physically couldn’t walk more than 15 feet without stepping near or on this algae. Our specimen for this, was 23.4252 inches (59.5 centimeters) long. This species is usually the most prominent along the majority of Southern California Beaches. It has invaded the California Coastline, to the point where it is obstructing foot traffic along some beaches. It is not very common inside the Lagoon. This species arrived in the United States via a cargo shipment from Japan into the Long Beach harbour in the year 2003. This species of seagrass is brown, & it has little berries along it. This type of seagrass does not grow on the bottom of the sea like Seawrack, instead, it grows in one large pile floating on the surface of the water. This is why it is so easy for lots of Devil Weed to wash up along the shoreline at once.
Lithothrix Aspergillum (Stone Hair)
Our specimen of this species measured was 14 centimeters. This species of seaweed does not have a common name that is widely used, so it is extremely hard to find. Occasionally, it can be called “Stone Hair”. Our specimen of this species was found on the northern end of the Malibu Lagoon State Beach, along with the other 2 specimens listed thus far. It is spongey looking, & it is rather purple. It can appear to look a bit less purple at times, & lean more towards a bleached pink colour. This species of algae will often be found settling in the tide pools of the Lagoon & settling on the rocks around the beach.
Unidentified Orange Algae Species
Our specimen for this species was 14 centimeters. We found some orange algae along the Malibu Lagoon State Beach, however, we could not identify its species. It does not look like anything that should be along the California Coast. This species was found along the central portion of Malibu State Beach.
Our Conclusion
Our Final Conclusion, is that there are a total of 4 prominent species of seagrass & seaweed in Malibu Lagoon. There tend to be more seagrass specimens during low tide, which is why to conduct a survey like this you should conduct the survey at the time when the tide is lowest. The number of seagrass & seaweed may increase, or decrease by the next annual Survey.
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