On March 6th, 2016, Cabrillo National Monument was proud to successfully host one of the first National Parks BioBlitz events of the year in our rocky intertidal zone. This BioBlitz is part of a larger effort coordinated by the National Park Service (NPS) to celebrate the NPS Centennial. This event and others like it are great opportunities to learn more about the biodiversity of a park and contribute to our greater understanding of the biodiversity of the nation. In addition to obtaining valuable species information from targeted inventories with scientists, this is a tremendous opportunity to engage youth and expose them to hands-on resource stewardship.

For the Cabrillo Intertidal BioBlitz, the Cabrillo National Monument Natural Resource team was joined by an eager group of 12 observers and collected an astounding 467 observations across 157 different species. Some of the more notable observations included shore birds, numerous species of charismatic sea hares and octopus, and eight juvenile green abalone (Haliotis fulgens)! Over the past thirty years of intertidal monitoring in the park, green abalone have had an ephemeral presence at best. The observations of eight in one day is a testament to the collective power of citizen science in shedding light on the biodiversity of these spaces. THANK YOU to the committed volunteers and public participants that made this event a huge success.

Along with our fellow park units, Cabrillo National Monument is excited to be a Pacific West Regional Showcase in the Nationwide BioBlitz May 21st and 22nd where we will again call on our local experts and the greater San Diego community to join us in celebrating science, art, and nature. We look forward to gaining a deeper understanding of the species that call Cabrillo National Monument home, as well as, inspiring the next generation of stewards to explore and investigate their national parks.

Cabrillo National Monument is proud to kick off the National Park Service's Centennial with one of the first National Parks BioBlitz of the year! Join us this Sunday, March 6th, 11 am - 4pm, as we blitz the rocky intertidal habitats at Cabrillo National Monument.

The rocky intertidal zone, or tidepools, is an area between the sea and the land. Here, plants and animals living within this zone are adapted to alternating exposures of the drying sun and the pounding sea. Learn about the amazing marine creatures that call the tidepools their home. Meet and watch scientists as they conduct surveys along our rocky intertidal shore. Be part of our community and help us document the species we see during this BioBlitz!

Download the Tidepool Pre-Blitz Guide for additional information on this BioBlitz.

Cabrillo National Monument is located at the tip of the Point Loma peninsula in San Diego, California. For more information on the park, please visit: www.nps.gov/cabr

Weather forecast for 3/6/2016: Rain, mainly after 10 am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64 F. (updated 3/2/2016)