By Jade Dean

Last week, we held our second beach seine of the summer with the Pacific Coast Environmental Conservancy at the Colorado Lagoon and Bayshore in Long Beach, CA. All of our interns are getting the hang of catching and processing the various species we collect during these seines. Miss last month's beach seine recap? Read all about it here!

Here are some of our results:

• Over 400 Topsmelt (Atherinops affinis) caught at the Colorado Lagoon.
• The largest fish caught at Bayshore was a  Bay Pipe Fish (Syngnathus griseolineatus) that measured 20.3cm or 7.9in.
• The largest fish caught at the Colorado Lagoon was a Bat Ray (Myliobatis californicus) that measured  41cm or 16.1in.
• Our Bayshore seine had the most species diversity to date. We caught: Giant Kelpfish (Heterostichus rostratus), Striped Kelpfish (Gibbonsia metzi), Diamond Turbot (Hypsopsetta guttulata), California Halibut (Paralichthys californicus), Bay Pipe Fish (Syngnathus griseolineatus), and Shinner Perch (Cymatogaster aggregata).

By Megan Roy
Our Educational programs at Los Cerritos Wetlands and Colorado Lagoon cover a range of topics from flora and fauna to site history and future plans. Check out some of the events we have had recently. 

By Jade Dean
Earlier this month, we identified a bee hive in Phase III at the Colorado Lagoon. In order to protect our employees and volunteers, we enlisted the help of a local beekeeper to remove the hive in a safe and ecologically conscious manner. The removal of the hive was a fascinating process. First, the beekeeper used smoke to disorient the bees and to mask their chemical signals. Once the bees became lethargic, the beekeeper opened the hive and applied a honey water mixture to it. This mixture causes the bees to lick themselves, further distracting themselves before the beekeeper extracts them from the hive. The beekeeper then carefully removes the honeycomb and inserts it in the frame, where it is held in place by rubber bands. Once the honeycomb has stabilized in the frame, the beekeeper inserts it into a bee box. Click "Read More" to see pictures of the process!

By Megan Roy

The Colorado Lagoon is a great place to spend a summer day. Recently, naturalists Dean, Graves, and Roy observed dozens of stingrays within inches of the shore! Moon jellies are another popular attraction at the lagoon. When the moon jelly feeds, the area by the gonads will take on the color of its prey. These jellies also do not have stingers so feel free to frolick in the water. 

By Jade Dean
During the summer, we find ourselves weeding our restoration sites more times than we can count! Here is a small collection of Before and After images of how our hard work has dramatically changed the landscape of Phase III at the Colorado Lagoon.

Click "Read More" to see more Before and After shots of our work!

By Jade Dean

Our first beach seine was held this past Saturday at the Colorado Lagoon and the Peninsula in Long Beach, CA. The purpose of the beach seine is to not only learn about the various organisms in Alamitos Bay, but to also better understand and gauge stress in fish along the California coastline. Our partner, Pacific Coast Environmental Conservancy, is measuring stress by analyzing its hormones and tissues. Read more about their research here.

Here are some of our results from Saturday:

• Over 800 Topsmelt (Atherinops affinis) caught at the Peninsula.
• Over 80 California Killifish (Fundulus parvipinnis) caught at the Colorado Lagoon.
• The largest fish of the day was a California Halibut (Paralichthys californicus) that measured 14.3cm or 5.6in.

By Jade Dean
This summer, Tidal Influence will partner with the Pacific Coast Environmental Conservancy (PCEC) to conduct beach seines in Alamitos Bay and Colorado Lagoon.
A beach seine is a surveying method that relies on a net to gather fish and other organisms in a body of water. Typically, beach seines are conducted at the Colorado Lagoon on a quarterly basis. During the summer, we hold a beach seine every month to further understand our local ecosystems and organisms that call these waters home.
Be sure to check back for more updates on our surveys! In the meantime, check out PCEC: http://pceconservancy.org/

By Jade Dean
We are officially out of planting season and have started to prepare a Phase III of the Western Arm Reserve for planting, which is located across the water from the lifeguard station. Ever wonder what it takes to make an area suitable for planting?

The answer is: a lot of hard work! To complete this task, We had over 40 volunteers assist us during our June 8th Habitat Restoration Event with Friends of Colorado Lagoon. Our group removed 200 lbs of non-native species in the area that included Lamb's Quarters (Chenopodium album) and Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon). We remove non-native species from our sites because they out-compete the native plants we install and create a monotypic environment.

Check out our before and after pictures by clicking "Read More"!