The Persaud Catalogue: Scientific Journal Of Marine Biology: Seagrass Survey Of Rincon Island State 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 Rincon Island 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, this was done with the correct permits & research, do not attempt to imitate this survey without being aware of the permits necessary to do it. On October 7th of 2023, we sent out 2 field agents to Rincon Island State Beach, in order to catalog the seagrass species. What they found is that there were 4 species of seagrass found on the beach. We have taken the coordinates &, a sample of these species, in order to study them. 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 Rincon Island State Beach.
The Results Of The Survey
All specimens for this survey were taken from 3:10 to 3:21 p.m. on October 7th, 2023. The tidal positioning at the time of collection may influence the results of this survey.
Seagrass Specimen No. 1: Zostera Marina (Common Eelgrass / Seawrack)
Zostera Marina is by far the most prominent species found on the beach. It was not found at all towards the western side of the beach, & was only found towards the eastern side of the beach. The seagrass was found in small clumps close to the shoreline, & never found with other seagrass species. We found studied 2 specimens for this species, the first of which was 6.29921 inches (26 centimeters) long & 1 millimeter wide. The second specimen was approximately 8 inches (20.32 centimeters) long, & 1 millimeter wide. Our specimen was found at the coordinates 34°21’24” North & 119°26’37” West. Usually, the stem & root of the seagrass is white. This species is a true seagrass, meaning it grows rooted on the seafloor, like grass. This species usually grows in water of 10 meters (32.8084) or less. This seagrass is very recognizable as it has long bright green blades, & is the only species in the Zostera Genus along the Californian coast. The species usually grows in meadows, & it is often consumed by waterfowl. They are extremely important to the coastal ecosystem as they provide a natural spawning area for many different marine species. This species is distributed from Alaska to Baja California. This species has existed for at least 8 million years, & has always been fundamental to California’s estuarine ecosystems.
Seagrass Specimen No. 2: Macrocystis Pyfiera (Giant Kelp / Bladder Kelp)
This species was the second most common species found on the beach but is found extremely rarely. It is found most commonly along the eastern portion of the beach, & is not found at all on the western portion of the beach. It is found extremely uncommonly even on the eastern side, with only 2 individual specimens being found along that portion of the shore. This is largely due to the rocks blocking anything from flowing on the western side of the shoreline. Our specimen was slightly dried out, & was 6.102362 inches (15.5 centimeters) long & 1 centimeter (0.393701 inches) wide. This specimen was also found at the coordinates of 34°21’26” North & 119°26’39” West. We also found a second specimen that is 23 inches (9.05512 centimeters) long, & 1 centimeter (0.393701 inches) wide. The coordinates at which it was found are 34°21’26” North & 119°26’39” West. Macrocystis Pyfiera is technically not a seagrass or a seaweed, it is a protist, but for the purposes of this article, it will still be included. Giant kelp is usually a brownish-green colour, with bumpy thin leaves that are more than an inch wide, & bulbous air-filled fruit that make them float up in the ocean. Under optimal conditions, Giant kelp can grow to 175 feet long (53.34 meters) however it usually only reaches 100 feet. Shockingly, they can grow up to 2 feet (0.6096 meters) every day, a growth rate only matched by bamboo. Giant kelp is found from Alaska to Baja California, & is also found in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, & certain parts of South America. They grow in rocky areas, deeper than 20 feet (6.096 meters).
Seagrass Specimen No. 3: Ulva Lactuca (Sea Lettuce)
Ulva Lactuca is the least commonly found species on Rincon Island State Beach by a wide margin. Our specimen wasn’t even found on the beach itself, it was found floating in the ocean by one of our field agents. For this reason, we cannot provide the coordinates for this species. Our specimen of this species was 3.34646 inches (8.5 centimeters) long &, 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) wide. This species is extremely recognizable as it is bright neon green, & looks vaguely like strips of lettuce. It is also translucent. The whole plant is bright green, & usually found in shallow areas. The seagrass is found in Europe, North America, South America, Central America, The Caribbean, The Indian Subcontinent, Southwestern Asia, Oceania, Australia, & New Zealand. In the majority of these places, they are also eaten with certain fish dishes, as they contain a very high amount of Vitamin B12.
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