East Point

Click here for Long-Term trends

Click here for Biodiversity Survey findings

East Point is located in the Northern Channel Islands, within the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, on Santa Rosa Island, California. This site is located in an Area of Special Biological Significance (San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz Islands ASBS) in Channel Islands National Park. This site receives roughly 200-300 visitors per year. Hard, coarse, volcanic rock forms the reef at the eastern tip of the island. A low, sloping, rocky bluff backs the reef.  At the point, the reef flat extends about 60 m from the bluff, stepping down with abrupt changes in biota from barnacles to rockweed, to mussels, to surfgrass.  Because of the low slope though, the zones tend to be wide.  The lower reef has many channels and small pools.

East Point is dominated by consolidated volcanic bedrock, and the area surrounding the site is comprised of a mixture of consolidated bedrock and sandy beach. The primary coastal orientation of this site is southeast.

Long-Term Monitoring Surveys at East Point were established in 1986, and are done by Channel Islands National Park. Long-Term MARINe surveys currently target the following species: Chthamalus/Balanus (Acorn Barnacles), Mytilus (California Mussel), Hesperophycus (Olive Rockweed), Silvetia (Golden Rockweed), Endocladia (Turfweed), and Phyllospadix (Surfgrass). In addition, motile invertebrates and mussel size structure are monitored at this site. Click here to view Long-Term trends at this site.

Biodiversity Surveys were done by University of California Santa Cruz in 2001 and 2004. The Biodiversity Survey grid encompasses one section that is approximately 35 meters (along shore) x 20 meters (seaward). Click here to view Biodiversity Survey findings at this site.

For more information about East Point, please contact Stephen Whitaker (stephen_whitaker@nps.gov).