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The Surprising Case of the Reappearing Seagrass
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 | | Southern sea otters rest in the eelgrass at Elkhorn Slough |
Join us for a talk by marine ecologist Brent Hughes, whose research has unraveled a perplexing mystery.
Elkhorn Slough is a living laboratory where the land meets the sea. When Reserve researcher Brent Hughes started asking questions about the health of the estuary he noticed something surprising -- despite high nutrient levels in the slough, at levels that impair seagrass growth in other places -- seagrass beds here are getting healthier, even surpassing beds in "pristine" estuaries along the California central coast with lower nutrient levels.
As Brent investigated he found that all signs pointed to an unlikely cause of the comeback: sea otters. Brent will explain the surprising way that sea otters keep the slough healthy and what a healthy slough means for our communities.
This event takes place at 7pm on Tuesday, November 12, at Elkhorn Slough Reserve, 1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville. Suggested donation is $5.00. For more information, call (831)728-5939 or download a flyer (PDF, 133KB).
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A Piece of History:
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 | | Land steward Ken Collins displays the milling slab he found on Foundation-protected lands |
Foundation Land Steward Ken Collins recently made an astounding discovery on our conservation lands near the Moro Cojo Slough. The stone artifact -- known as a milling slab, or basin metate -- was used by Native Americans to grind seeds into flour and is approximately 9,000 to 6,000 years old.
Recognizing its historical significance, we delivered the metate to the care of Mark Hylkema, California State Parks Archaeologist. Hylkema told our stewardship team that this type of milling slab would have been used "to grind hard seeds -- such as tarweed, clarkia, or various fescues -- into flour. So the environmental implication would be meadowlands rather than oaks."
"This helps build historical evidence for the presence and value of native grassland complexes adjacent to Moro Cojo Slough," says Stewardship Director Kim Hayes, encouraged by the find. "We are lucky to still have some of these grassland areas left, and this discovery highlights the importance of restoring and protecting the area's native grasses and wildflowers."
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See Sea Otters!
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 | | What! You still haven't watched us on the Elkhorn Slough Otter Cam? |
What! You still haven't checked out the live views of Southern sea otters on the Elkhorn Slough Otter Cam? Well, no better time than the present. The Otter Cam, launched in partnership with Friends of the Sea Otter, streams live video from the tidal salt marshes of the Elkhorn Slough to the Web, offering online visitors a sneak peek at the lives of sea otters in the estuary and providing information for researchers who are studying otter behaviors.
"Volunteers that monitor the sea otters have been telling us of otters hauling out of the water on regular basis, a behavior not seen in decades," says Reserve Manager Dave Feliz. "With the camera we can watch otters not only swimming and playing, but resting on the pickleweed, grooming their pups, and interacting in extraordinary ways. This is truly changing how we think about sea otters and their use of estuaries."
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All Signs Point to Moss Landing State Beach
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 | | Representatives from Elkhorn Slough Foundation, Sea Studios Foundation, Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation, and California State Parks dedicate the new interpretive signs at Moss Landing State Beach |
On October 10, the Elkhorn Slough Foundation, Sea Studios Foundation, Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation, and California State Parks held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate their collaboration on three new interpretive signs installed at Moss Landing State Beach, where Elkhorn Slough joins the Pacific Ocean. The panels, presented in English and Spanish, inform visitors about the estuary's habitat and rich diversity of plants and wildlife, giving special attention to the charismatic Southern sea otters that congregate in large numbers in Moss Landing Harbor and Elkhorn Slough.
"These tideflats and marsh offer incredibly important habitat," says Elkhorn Slough Foundation Executive Director Mark Silberstein. "The invertebrates that live here provide food for the otters and birds that attract so many visitors to Elkhorn Slough."
The signs are just the beginning of the Foundation's efforts to help State Parks support Moss Landing State Beach. We have been actively working to support dune restoration, and to develop additional opportunities for outreach and interpretation. |
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Cast Your Vote!
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 | Visit our Facebook page and vote for your favorite cover photo for the
2014 Elkhorn Slough Calendar
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Elkhorn Slough has always been embraced by its community and that's why we ask you to pick the photo for the Elkhorn Slough 2014 Calendar.
Visit our Facebook page to vote for the photo you'd like to see as the cover of the 2014 Elkhorn Slough calendar. Voting ends at 5pm on Thursday, November 7 -- so cast your vote today!
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Sightings: Burrowing Owls & Fall Birding
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 | | A Western burrowing owl has been sighted in the Elkhorn Slough watershed this fall |
This fall, an overwintering Western burrowing owl has been spotted in the Elkhorn Slough watershed. Burrowing owls are not year-round residents, but their visits often span the fall and winter months. Found in grassland and coastal prairie habitat, burrowing owls take over the burrows of ground squirrels and other ground-dwelling animals.
Burrowing owls are listed as a Species of Special Concern in California, due largely to habitat loss and degradation. In past years, we have sighted burrowing owls on the Foundation's Porter Ranch property, where our stewardship team has worked to protect and restore native coastal prairie habitat.
If you're interested in burrowing owls -- or any of the other spectacular birds that visit the slough in fall -- our website features a guide to the best spots for local birding, as well as a weekly account of Elkhorn Slough Sightings. And the Reserve's Coastal Training Program offers a wealth of information about the biology and conservation of burrowing owls.
Also, don't forget there is an early morning bird walk the first Saturday of each month, which starts at 8:30am right here at the Reserve.
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