Gerstle Cove

Click here for Long-Term trends

Click here for Biodiversity Survey findings

Gerstle Cove is located in the North Central Coast region of California, within the Gerstle Cove State Marine Reserve and Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. This site is located in an Area of Special Biological Significance (Gerstle Cove ASBS), and is near the Gerstle Cove Mussel Watch site. This site receives high visitation during low tides by tidepoolers and high visitation by abalone divers and fisherman just outside the reserve. This steeply sloping site consists of moderately uneven terrain, containing few cracks and folds.

Gerstle Cove is dominated by a mixture of consolidated bedrock and boulder fields, and the area surrounding the site is comprised of a mixture of consolidated bedrock, boulder fields, and cobble beach. The primary coastal orientation of this site is west/southwest.

Long-Term Monitoring Surveys at Gerstle Cove were established in 2010 and are done by University of California Santa Cruz. Long-Term MARINe surveys currently target the following species: Pisaster (Ochre Star). Click here to view Long-Term trends at this site.

Biodiversity Surveys were done in 2010, 2017, and 2021. The Biodiversity Survey grid encompasses one section that is approximately 30 meters (along shore) x 5 meters (seaward). Click here to view Biodiversity Survey findings at this site.

This site is also surveyed by LiMPETS (Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students) which is an environmental monitoring and education program for students, educators, and volunteer groups. You can access site specific data from this citizen scientist and educational broad scale trend monitoring program.

For more information about Gerstle Cove, please contact Pete Raimondi (raimondi@ucsc.edu).