The Persaud Catalogue: Scientific Journal Of Marine Biology: Seagrass Survey Of El Matador Beach
This article is a part of our second 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 in affiliation with The Persaud Catalog, however, it is a separate entity. In today's article, we will catalog the various species of seagrass found in & around El Matador State Beach. We will state the density of these species, the place where it was found the most, & a detailed description of the species. Please note, that this was done with the correct permits, do not attempt to imitate this survey without being aware of the permits necessary to do it. On September 16th, we sent out 2 field workers to do a seagrass survey of El Matador Beach. What they found was that there were 2 primary species of seagrass, those being Zostera Marina, & Macrocystis Pyfiera. Please do not attempt this without being aware of the permits necessary, or without prior research. To be clear, this is a survey that will only be conducted once, & not yearly like the Malibu surveys. This survey is a stand-alone study. With that being said, let us delve into the seagrasses of El Matador State Beach.
The Survey Itself
All specimens taken for this survey were taken between 1:05 & 1:09 PM, on September 16th of 2023. This was within 2 hours of high tide, so that may influence the results of this survey.
Seagrass Species No. 1: Zostera Marina (Seawrack / Eelgrass)
This species was the most prominent species on the beach. It was distributed evenly throughout the cove, & leaf blades of it could be found everywhere. It would never wash up in clumps, & would wash up in individual strands. It is extremely identifiable as it is long, thin, & bright green, compared to Macrocystis, which looks completely different. Our specimen was found near the rockier areas, further up the beach. This specimen was found at coordinates 34°2’18” North, & 118°52’32” West. Our specimen was measured at approximately 14.5669 inches (37 centimeters) long, & 1 millimeter wide. This was most likely the entire strand, & not a broken off piece of a strand. This species is a true seagrass, meaning it grows directly in the sea floor, instead of growing on a holdfast. It often grows in large patches, known as seagrass meadows. This species gets up to 3 meters at its largest, but that is under very specific environments. Around California, finding Zostera Marina which is 3 meters long is incredibly rare. This species usually has white root at its base, & long thin circular leaf blades. Zostera Marina is found in very cold waters, such as the Northern Pacific, & the Atlantic. This species typically grows in coastal areas, & estuaries. It is an extremely popular food among different species of waterfowl, & cattle when they get access to it.
Seagrass Species No. 2: Macrocystis Pyfiera (Giant Kelp / Bladder Kelp)
This was the second most prominent species of sea flora on the beach, as it is technically not a seaweed. Giant Kelp is not a plant either, as it is actually a protist. A protist is a eukaryotic organism that is not a plant, animal, or a fungi. Throughout the beach, it would wash up in rather large clumps, & very rarely ever wash up in small amounts. This is due to the natural clumping of Giant Kelp. It is very identifiable due to its berries filled with air, & its distinctive leaf shape. Our specimen for this species was approximately 17 inches (43.18 centimeters) long, & 0.393701 inches (1 centimeter) wide. The coordinates at which this specimen was found are 34°2’17” North, & 118°52’33” West. Giant kelp is found along the Pacific coast, from Alaska to Mexico, & then from Peru to Argentina. They tend to grow in giant forests along the Pacific coast. At their maximum, they are able to grow up to 2 feet per day. They usually grow in waters 10 to 33 feet deep, in order to have enough room to thrive. They are usually found in open ocean, but smaller amounts can be found up to 300 feet out to shore. Their thallus, which looks similar to a stem, can be between 5 & 200 feet long. It is the largest algae species on planet Earth.
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