CAL COAST DIVERS . COM
HELPING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DIVERS DO WHAT THEY DO BEST; DIVE
ARTICLES IN DIVING
We hope to introduce the divers of Southern California to research now occurring off of the Southern California coast. If you know of any worthy research now occurring, or that has happened in the past, drop us a line at info@calcoastdivers.com to post on our site and create a link to your web site! Thanks for checking us out!
CAL COAST DIVERS, NOW SERVING:
SAN DIEGO COUNTY
ORANGE COUNTY
LOS ANGELES COUNTY
VENTURA COUNTY
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
CALIFORNIA COASTAL ECOLOGY PAGES
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CALIFORNIA COASTAL
ECOLOGY PAGES
SPECIES SERVER | ALGAE | SPONGES | BRYOZOANS | ANEMONES | SEA FANS | NUDIBRANCHS | LIMPETS | CHITON | CLAMS | MUSCLES | SCALLOPS | OCTOPI | FEATHER WORMS | SHRIMP | LOBSTER | CRABS | BARNACLES | SEA STARS | SEA URCHINS | SEA CUCUMBER | SHRIMP | SEA SQUIRTS | SHARKS | SKATES | RAYS | BONEY FISH |
California’s temperate waters are home to some of the most productive ecosy
stems
in the world. Although the diversity of our coastal communities is paled in
comparison to those of more tropical water, the shear amounts of biomass and productivity dwarf any
other pure marine environment or terrestrial ecosystem in the world. Exotic
sea fans, crustaceans, and fish of all sizes, shapes, and colors will amaze any
individual and leave them with a humbling sense of awe and beauty. The
productive waters off our coast provide the world with some of the highest
quality and gourmet foods to satisfy the most discerning tastes. Or when
captured by the memory or within a picture, these same creatures govern the ocean bottoms and delight the eyes of any
visitor to the environment. Regardless of the level of training, California
offers divers and non divers a like the opportunity to interact in a self
fulfilling way. From tide pool gazers, to free divers, and scuba divers our
coast offers an unimaginable amount of treasures.
Unfortunately the temperate waters which make our coast such a treasure trove for any individual often makes it less desirable for media attention. While the loss of a coral reef in tropical waters is something anyone can appreciate the loss of, the plight of our own coast is sometimes less tangible for the average person to fathom. Our coast is a food source for countries which have long since over fished their own coastal waters. At the recreational level our coast is a very popular destination for amateur anglers and hunters of all skill levels. On top of this California is home to a already large and still growing population. As the population of California increases, surely there will be some impact to our underwater ecosystems. While the loss of forests and environments is easy for any passerby to recognize, the loss tidal and subtidal habitats is much harder to appreciate for someone who does not actively participate in a sport or hobby which brings that person in direct contact with our coast. Compound this with the little attention being focused on our own coast and it is not unimaginable that much of our coast will be lost before we ever have a chance to understand what we have today.
It is the hope of the authors of these pages that the pictures, stories, and fun facts offered about the organisms of our coast will bring more attention to the complex beauty of our coastal ecosystems. The following pages are offered as a resource to all ocean loving citizens both here and abroad. It is our hope these pages will become an important resource for information regarding the ecology, global significance, and environmental plight facing the citizens of our marine and coastal ecosystems. We here at Cal Coast teach scuba, but within these pages contain our true passion. Please check with us often, or drop us a line to let us know how we may improve these pages. Anyone currently doing research on any environment or critter off of our coast is invited to contribute sources, papers, or stories to these pages.
The menu bar to the right breaks down the variety of life we have off of our coast by depth zones and phylum and sub groups of those phylum. The links at the top of the page offer marine critter identification pages. Simply click on the links of the group of organisms that interest you for more information on these critters such as range, behavior, and identification characteristics.
Below are descriptions of each of the pages you will find in our ecology section.
MARINE ZONES
In the Marine Zones section we will provide a detailed break down of the environment and conditions divers can expect to see at the following depths. Our coast line varies dramatically as divers make their way from the Mexican border to Northern California. We plan on providing a comprehensive look at each of the different marine environments at any given depth and information divers may find very useful for planning dives.
IDENTIFICATION PAGES
On these pages we will be providing a search engine for divers to look up and identify the organisms that make their home off of our coast. Links are also provided on each page which make it possible for you to gather more information on the organism such as diet, habitat, behavior, and any interesting or fun facts about the species.
Development of these pages is currently ongoing. If you have any tips or ideas on how to make this page a better resource please contact us! We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you out in the water! Over the next month we will unveil more specimens, with more information on life cycles, interactions, as well as links which will provide you with information on where and why you can expect to see certain species in certain areas. If you have any questions or comments please address them to info@calcoastdivers.com and one of our friendly staff will respond to your inquiry within 24 hours. We sincerely hope these pages will be of some benefit to you as you browse through our pages.
Copyrighted by Ryan Jaeger & Matthew J. Wahlrab 2002 - 20032