Explore the Bay: Marine Life Inventory

The Explore the Bay: Marine Life Inventory is an education and outreach program that allows the public to be scientists for the day. Participants will attend a short lecture and then rotate through multiple stations:

• Boat Trawl: The public goes on a boat with CDFW staff where a net is deployed to sample the organisms at the bottom of the Bay.
• Water Quality Testing and Mud Grab: Learn how to test the health of the Bay's water and sample the animals living in the mud.
• Beach Seine: Assist in pulling in a seine net, identify and count the near-shore fish species.

This is a hands-on opportunity for people 13-years and older to assist scientists from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in data collection, a process in which organisms are collected, identified, measured, and released. These monthly surveys create a snapshot of what is happening in the Bay, helping scientists make informed decisions about how to best manage our natural resources.

Contribute to the process of scientific monitoring at an Ecological Reserve and a State Marine Conservation Area. Registration is required and for more information, visit Explore the Bay: Marine Life Inventory.

This event has a limited capacity. If the Eventbrite registration is sold out and you are still interested in participating, please email CDFW staff at [email protected] with your name, the date you'd like to participate and your group size.

Info: Collect a net from shallow water on our beach. Learn to identify, count, and measure the nearshore fish species on the dock.

Info: Station 1: Boat Trawl with CFDW or Station 2: Water Quality Testing and Mud Grab Sampling with Orange County Coastkeeper.

Info: Station 1: Boat Trawl with CFDW or Station 2: Water Quality Testing and Mud Grab Sampling with Orange County Coastkeeper.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Back Bay Science Center, 600 Shellmaker Road, Newport Beach, United States