Horse Beach Cove

photo banner of different intertidal species

Horse Beach Cove Long-Term trends

Horse Beach Cove is located in the Southern Channel Islands. This site is not accessible by the public, as it is on navy-owned San Clemente Island. Visitation to this site is limited to fishing and tidepooling navy personnel and a handful of researchers. This gently sloping site consists of moderately uneven terrain, containing a few cracks and folds.

closeup of research site

Horse Beach Cove is dominated by consolidated bedrock, and the area surrounding the site is comprised of a mixture of consolidated bedrock and cobble beach. The primary coastal orientation of this site is east.

closeup of research site

Long-Term Monitoring Surveys at Horse Beach Cove were established in 2011, and are done by Navy Marine Ecology Consortium. Long-Term MARINe surveys currently target the following species: Chthamalus/Balanus (Acorn Barnacles), Tetraclita (Pink Barnacle), and Silvetia (Golden Rockweed). For more information see the Long-Term trends at this site.

For more information about Horse Beach Cove, please contact Jessica Curran (jessica.j.curran.civ@us.navy.mil) or Erica Pollard (erica.a.pollard2.civ@us.navy.mil).

Last modified: Aug 06, 2025