Solid science contributing to informed policy decisions...
SLOSEA's data collection efforts from 2006 through 2009 have included:
- Establishing a network of monitoring stations capturing real-time water quality, meteorological and current data in the Morro Bay estuary.
- Performing detailed bathymetric surveys, collecting and compiling data as a basis for physical modeling.
- Developing a hydrodynamic model to simulate tidal and current effects on the movement of land-based pollution throughout the bay.
- Evaluating data on critical habitat areas such as eel grass beds in the estuary and rocky intertidal areas along the coast.
- Screening key marine species such as shellfish and finfish for potential pollution effects.
- Documenting the shift in Morro Bay from a native mussel dominated community to a bryozoan (invasive) dominated community.
- Completing a three-year study with surveys and analysis of baseline ecosystem-dependent business activity in Morro Bay.
- Compiling historical fishing data and collecting new data through the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program.
Data collection is ongoing in 2010.