Point Bonita

Click here for Long-Term trends

Point Bonita is located in the North Central Coast region of California, near the Golden Gate and within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

The site is located at the base of a moderately sloped cliff that opens onto a large cobble beach. A few large boulders are scattered throughout the intertidal zone and into the deep water. The bedrock bench at this site has been artificially modified for use as a boat ramp.  The seastar transects are located along the northern edge of the cobble beach with the northernmost transect ending at the base of a horizontal cliff face. The plots are arrayed throughout the cobble beach.  The northernmost plot is located adjacent to the remnant rails of the former Coast Guard lifeboat station. This site receives considerable visitation by guided youth groups.

Long-Term Monitoring Surveys at Point Bonita were established in 2006, 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: Chthamalus/Balanus (Acorn Barnacles), Mytilus (California Mussel), Endocladia (Turfweed), and Pisaster (Ochre Star). In addition, motile invertebrates and mussel size structure are monitored at this site. Click here for detailed intertidal monitoring protocols and additional information about the intertidal habitats of the San Francisco Bay Area National Parks. Click here to view Long-Term trends at this site.

This site was also sampled in 2007 as part of a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA).

For more information about Point Bonita, please contact Darren Fong (darren_fong@nps.gov).