Bolinas Point Long-Term trends
Bolinas Point Biodiversity Survey findings
Bolinas Point is located in the North Central Coast region of California, within the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and Point Reyes National Seashore. This site is located in an Area of Special Biological Significance (Duxbury Reef Reserve and Extension ASBS), within the Duxbury Reef State Marine Conservation Area established by the State of California, and is 1.4 mi northwest of the Duxbury Reef Point Mussel Watch site.
The site is northwest of the town of Bolinas. This gently sloping site consists of relatively flat terrain
with a ~300 m distance between high and low intertidal boundaries. The survey plots are located on
the outermost intertidal bench and consist primarily of sedimentary rock outcrops with folded layers
oriented in a NW-SE direction. This site receives low visitation by tidepoolers and the low areas
inshore of the reef flood before the outer reef, potentially stranding researchers.
Long-Term Monitoring Surveys at Bolinas Point were established in 2005, and are done by the San Francisco Bay Area Network of the National Park Service’s Inventory and Monitoring Program. Long-Term MARINe surveys currently target the following species: Mytilus (California Mussel), Fucus (Northern Rockweed), Mastocarpus (Turkish Washcloth), Phyllospadix (Surfgrass), and Pisaster (Ochre Star). In addition, motile invertebrates and mussel size structure are monitored at this site. For more information see San Francisco Bay Area National Parks intertidal monitoring protocols and Long-Term trends at this site.
Biodiversity Surveys were done in 2002, 2005, 2008, 2013, and 2020. The Biodiversity Survey grid encompasses one section that is approximately 30 meters (along shore) x 150 meters (seaward). For more information see the Biodiversity Survey findings at this site.
This site was also sampled in 2009 as part of a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA). Photo plot and motile invertebrate surveys were done as part of the NRDA.
For more information about Bolinas Point, please contact Ben Becker (Ben_Becker@nps.gov).
See Also