Want to know what lives under the water at the Kendall-Frost Marsh?  On Saturday icthyologists will put a fish seine (a weighted net) in the water to see what is there.  

One species they might catch is this cute Pacific staghorn sculpin (Leptocottus armatus). These fish are named after the antler-like spines on each side of its head.  Like most estuarine fish they can thrive in a place like Kendall-Frost Marsh because they can tolerate a wide range of salinities. This species has an unusual superpower (for a fish) - they are amphibious, meaning they can breathe both in the water and in the air!  This is a pretty great trick for a species that lives in a place with shallow water or water of irregular depth and oxygen content. They can wigggle their way to a deeper pool or wait until the tide comes in if they get stranded. This species is often caught by pier fisherman up and down the CA coast but they are not considered good eating, they are mostly used as bait. You won't set up your next fishing trip on Saturday, however.  You will be able to observe any animal we catch but it will be returned to the water to keep it healthy and safe.

Want to see what has been found at previous Wander the Wetlands fish seining expiditions? Check out the iNaturalist project, "Life at Kendall-Frost Marsh" 

Meet at the northern end of Crown Point Park where there is a dirt parking lot. There will be NO activity at the Kendall-Frost Marsh trailer as it is now a construction site.  

We had our groundbreaking ceremony on March 29 for the new facility at the Kendall-Frost Marsh.  The crew is currently working on the underground utilities, the actual modular building will appear in the summer, and we hope to be open for business by the end of the year.  Our most exciting news is that Dr. Lisa Cartwright's UCSD "Design Master Studio" class is working on archiving Celeste Byers' mural and creating something new to preserve the work and its history.  Stay tuned to see what these uber-creative undergraduate students come up with!    

This can't be said enough times: we thank our donors, the UCSD Division of Biological Sciences, the Wildlife Conservation Board, and our Chancellor Pradeep Khosla for their generous support of this project.  It takes a village. 

During construction many of our our outreach programs, such as Wander the Wetlands, will continue but will meet elsewhere.  See below for details.   

Weed Warriors
every Friday, 8 - 10 AM

Every Friday we tackle the invasive weeds at the Scripps Coastal Reserve. Help the native plants take back their territory! No experience necessary. Please email nrs@ucsd.edu if you would like to join the fun.

During construction, Wander the Wetlands will contune to meet on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month.  We will meet in the dirt lot at the north end of Crown Point Park, however. There will be bird walks, fish seining, invasive species removal, and (as always) picking up trash!   No pre-registration is required.

Scripps 1st Saturday
Sat. June 3, 9 - 11 AM

There are docent-led tours the first Satuday of each month at the Scripps Coastal Reserve.  Learn about our photosynthetic friends & foes, underground bee nurseries, and why Black's Beach has such great surfing as you walk the half-mile trail with a guide.  No pre-registration is required.

Click below to get news from the UC San Diego Natural Reserve System