Vista del Mar | MARINe

Vista del Mar

Click here for Long-Term trends

Click here for Biodiversity Survey findings

Vista del Mar is located in the Central Coast region of California, within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This site is located within the Cambria State Marine Park and Hearst San Simeon State Park. The site is relatively accessible, via a trail along the bluff or a beach walk, and thus receives a moderate amount of human visitation. This moderately sloping site consists of moderately uneven terrain, containing few cracks and folds.

Vista del Mar biodiversity survey overview

Vista del Mar is dominated by consolidated bedrock, and the area surrounding the site is comprised of a mixture of consolidated bedrock, boulder fields, and sandy beach. The primary coastal orientation of this site is southwest.

Long-Term Monitoring Surveys at Vista del Mar were established in 2004 (with expanded monitoring implemented in 2007 as part of the MLPA), and are done by University of California Santa Cruz. Surveys at this site are not done on a regular basis. Long-Term MARINe surveys target the following species: Chthamalus/Balanus (Acorn Barnacles), Mytilus (California Mussel), Silvetia (Golden Rockweed), Endocladia (Turfweed), Phyllospadix (Surfgrass), and Pisaster (Ochre Star). In addition, motile invertebrates, barnacle recruitment, and water temperature are monitored at this site. Click here to view Long-Term trends at this site.Vista del Mar long-term monitoring overview

Biodiversity Surveys were done in 2008 and 2021. The Biodiversity Survey grid encompasses one section that is approximately 30 meters (along shore) x 40 meters (seaward). Click here to view Biodiversity Survey findings at this site.

This site is also regularly 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 Vista del Mar, please contact Pete Raimondi (raimondi@ucsc.edu).