ABOUT US
In 1997, we began a beach survey program using trained volunteers to survey beached marine birds and mammals monthly at selected sections of beaches throughout the Monterey Bay area. The program is a collaborative project between Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML) the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS), and other state and research institutions including the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), US Geological Survey (USGS), and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) with the specific goal of using deposition of beach cast carcasses as an index of the health of the sanctuary.
As of May 2019, we have more than active 100 volunteers that survey beaches from Santa Cruz to LA county. This program has been greatly successful, providing data for a number of scientific papers, contributing to the conservation of sanctuary resources, identifying and quantifying oiled wildlife, and a great many more accomplishments.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
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Obtain baseline information on rates of deposition of beachcast birds and mammals:
Trained volunteers identify and quantify all dead birds and mammals on sandy beaches along the central California coastline, between San Mateo/Santa Cruz County line and Santa Barbara. Beach surveys are conducted monthly at most locations and 2 times per month at selected beaches. These data provide a baseline for deposition rates along the CA coast during all seasons.
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Assess causes of seabird and marine mammal mortality:
Volunteers note the cause of death (e.g. presence of oil or entanglement in fishing line) for each organism found. When possible, fresh specimens are collected for post-mortem examination by a veterinary pathologist from CDFW.
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Assess abundance of tar balls on beaches:
The abundance of tar balls on beaches is determined and used as an indicator of amount of chronic or low-level oil deposition. In the case of large deposition of oil, volunteers are trained in the proper procedure for sample collection and storage. These samples will be used to determine the source of the oil (e.g. natural seeps or vessel traffic).
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Assist resource management agencies in early detection of mortality events, both natural and anthropogenic:
Beach COMBERS consist of scientists, resource managers, and citizens that have formed a well-connected group. This allows the quick accumulation of information about the resources of California into a centralized location, and the rapid dissemination of information to the management and enforcement agencies (e.g., MBNMS, CDFW, NMFS).
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Build a network of interacting citizens, scientists, and resource managers:
Frequent interactions in training sessions, enrichment events, and local meetings, provide a mechanism for scientists, citizens, and managers in the Beach COMBERS program to transfer information and awareness of resource management and policy.
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Disseminate information to the public and educational institutions:
Data from the Beach COMBERS program will be provided to the public and schools via web pages, a CeNCOOS data portal, scientific meetings, teacher education classes (MLML), and interactions with the public on the beaches.
COLLABORATION
Current BeachCOMBERS Management:
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David Sherer - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Program Manager
- Southern BeachCOMBERS Coordinator
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Mike Harris - California Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Central BeachCOMBERS Coordinator
Previous BeachCOMBERS Coordinators:
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Jim Harvey - Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, California State University
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Scott Benson - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
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Hannah Nevins - Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, California State University; UC Davis
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Erica Donnelly-Greenan - Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, California State University
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Sonny Knaub - Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, California State University
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Andrew DeVogelaere - Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
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Jackie Lindsey - Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, California State University
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Lena Chang - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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Robert McMorran - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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Jenny Marek - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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Colleen Grant - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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Mary Martin - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
OUR TEAM
Our survey teams comprise devoted volunteers (current active volunteers as of June 2018):
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North:
Jack Ames, Michelle Armstrong, Laurie Balcar, Nelson Balcar, Jessie Beck, Cynthia Begin, Scott Benson, Sara Broadbent, Patty Brown, Ben Bryant, Erica Burton, Kori Calubaquib, Nicolas Calubaquib, Ryan Carle, Andrew Curtis, Sandra Degen, Andrew DeVogelaere, Erica Donnelly-Greenan, Lisa Emanuelson, Katie Excoffier, Stanley Dudek, Paul Fleischman, Karin Forney, Judy Garrison, Corinne Gibble, Don Glasco, Alison Goss, Kathy Halliburton, Nina Hertel, Marina Hobson, Cheryl Horton, Linda Jordan, Sol Katzman, Pamela Kearby, Jim Kellogg, Emma Kelsey, Inger Marie Laursen, Bob Lea, Donna Lohrmann, Glenn McGovern, Sharon McGuire, Christine Miller, Beth Pardieck, Jennifer Parkin, Jenny Pederson, Stewart Perlman, Amberlynn Pinkerton, Amanda Preece, Connie Rose, Glenn Seiler, Gayan Seneviratna, Brian Schmidt, Tierney Thys, Laney White, Colleen Young, Kelly Zilliacus (Newton)
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Central:
Gary Angelus, Duffy Burns, Sarah Chaney, David Dennis, David Feleay, Lois Feleay, Mark Garman, Susan Garman, Mike Harris, Heather Harris-Harris, Julie Howar, Greg Howar, Regena Orr, Denise Overman, Doug Overman, Christine Pattison, Dan Richards, Kathy Sharum, Carolyn Skinder, Jeff Sproul, Mike Stiles, PJ Webb
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South:
Barbara Barrett, Ronald Barrett, Debra Barringer, Kendra Chan, Lena Chang, John Connor, John David, Andrea Dransfield, Lara Drizd, Danielle Fagre, Francesca Ferrara, Alexis Frangis, Robyn Gerstenslager, Jennifer Gold, Colleen Grant, Sarah Green, Estelle Inchino, Karen Laing, Todd Leimen, Nathan Marcy, Jenny Marek, Mary Martin, Kris Ohlenkamp, Hazel Rodriguez, Martin Ruane, Karen Sinclair, Rebecca Smith-Gridley, Kirk Waln, Raphaela Ware
OTHER FUNDING & SUPPORT
