Question.3765 - Name Michael Powdrill Cabrillo Beach Alternate Site Activity (3720 Stephen M White Drive, San Pedro, CA 90731) Objectives The purpose of this activity is to introduce you to a variety of concepts in oceanography sediments, tides, ocean life, coastal erosion, ocean pollution, etc. Examine the mud along the edge of the land beneath the pier. Note the holes. Coastal Wetlands (Salinas de San Pedro, a salt marsh) What does a wetland look like at high tide it seems to be submerged with higher level of water flowing over mudflats, appearing like an extension of ocean What does a wetland look like at low tide it seems to be like the water experiences a receding effect, revealing tidal channels and mudflats alongside vegetation Note the storm drain and the port as we walk to the wetland. The port use to be an enormous wetland. Over 90 of Californias wetlands have been destroyed byImagine wetlands were oncehumans for coastal development like houses, ports, bars, etc.so extensive in southernSometimes there are real economic gains from destroyingCalifornia that it was possiblewetlands. For example, over 100 billion in goods movesto canoe from Cabrillo tothrough the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach each year.Del Amo Fashion Center MallCombined, they are the busiest port in the United States andthe 8th busiest in the world. The ports are related to 260,000 jobsin the local economy worth 8 billion in wages. Salinas de San Pedro is a made-made wetland. Why was it created to restore lost wetland eco-system with an intent to improve water quality and build a sustainable habitat for wildlife to thrive and also aid the coastlines protection What signs of life can you see in the wetland birds like herons and egrets, small fish, crabs, mollusks, and wetland plants 5. There are a lot of animals in wetlands, but you cannot see many of them because they are hiding. Where are they hiding Why are they hiding the animals utilize the dense bushes in wetlands it is to escape from harsher weather conditions and predators, particularly when the vulnerability increases 6. Why is life so abundant in wetlands I believe it is because of the abundance accessibility/availability in the wetland grounds like the varied sediments that also supports as a perfect condition for breeding What benefits do coastal wetlands provide to humans Nurseries for juvenile fish and other organisms There is lots of submerged vegetation for the baby animals and places for them to hide like ______________________________________. How do humans benefit help local fisheries to thrive Filtering out pollutants before they enter the ocean Some organisms who live in wetlands can break down toxic chemicals Wetland plants and algae absorb nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus If too many enter the ocean too quickly, they can cause harmful algae blooms (poisonous phytoplankton) and hypoxic zones (animals die from lack of oxygen). How do humans benefit it could aid insustaining a cleaner ecosystem naturally reduce coastal erosion plants roots catch sediments washed off the land by rain and resist erosion by waves How do humans benefit by building coastal infrastructure and allowing land to build up along the coast. Wetlands keep the ocean from expanding onto the land wetlands prevent waves from eroding the land beneath our homes, business, and roads. In fact, wetlands help sediments build up along the coast so that land can expand into the ocean flood control good at extra absorbing water. Storms cause flooding in two ways (a) rainfall (b) sea surface storm surge rising water level How do humans benefit Wetlands protect our homes and business from water damage due to weather events. The Waves, the Breakwater, and Beaches Observe the breakwater as you walk 8. Look at the waves in the harbor (look for the lighthouse) and the fishing pier. and those in the ocean. Where are the waves largest, inside the harbor or outside the harbor Outside the harbor The Port of Los Angeles is the largest man-made harbor in the Western Hemisphere (i.e., on this half of the world). Why was the breakwater built With an intent to provide protection to the harbor and surrounding coastal region from larger oceanic waves by influencing the wave pattern and reducing the fluctuations in the harbor for docking LandHarborInner BeachFishing Pier OceanOuter BeachBreakwater Many people fish on the nearby pier. Which fish are probably healthier to eat, those caught in the harbor or those caught in the ocean Fish caught in the ocean Why (Consider the effect of the breakwater on the movement of water between the ocean and the harbor.) since the breakwater tends to restrict the natural movement of water, causing lesser circulation andleading pollution buildups, making fish lesser in breakwater when compared to those in Ocean Where should you take your small children to swim Inside the harbor where the water is less built up in waves , being more calmer 11. Which picture below best represents the waves at the shoreline Wave CrestWaveACrestB Waves change direction as they approach the shore, bending so that they match the shape of the shoreline. We call this wave refraction. Image A - depicts wave refraction showing the bend to match the shape of the shoreline. Where is most of the life on a sandy beach Why is it there it can be found in the wet sand near the shore due to tides brining many nutrients What do the animals living in the beach sand eat It depends on the organisms and species but as far as Ive observed plankton and detritus carried by waves Notice that the beach over by the tide pools is a rocky beach. 14.Which is the more natural condition for this shoreline,a sandy beach or a rocky beachRocky beach15.Why was the groin built along the shoreline Groin holds sand by trapping it, particularly those carried by longshore drift Note erosion due to water draining from the shower as we walk along the beach. Are most of the sediments at the bottom of the cliffs ON LAND (far from the ocean and beach) sharp or smooth Smooth because of consistent weathering and erosion We are now entering a marine life refuge. What are the rules How should we treat the animals that we will encounter Why Can we take anything (e.g., shells) home with us Why or why not Firstly, to respect all lifeform and be diligent about it living in the surroundingswithout hampering the habitat , while taking shells just the dead ones make sense taking home but it is important not to take them, because they help prevent shore erosion by acting as a roughage Storm Drain Pollution, Cliff Erosion, Beach Sediments, and Tides The large tubes running from the top of the cliffs to the beach are storm drains. What is the purpose of storm drains To collect and redirect the water runoff with the intent to prevent flooding What is in the water carried into the ocean by storm drains It could possibly have pollutants like trash or chemicals from human activities Is the water carried by storm drains treated before it flows into the ocean No, treated 21. How can storm drains lead to beach closures Because storm drain tends to carry pollutants into the ocean rising the level of bacterias Ironically, surfers often like to go surfing after it rains, because the waves are big. What stuff have humans put on the cliffs Why is it there What is it for Boulders, walls, vegetation and anti-erosion to stabilize the cliffs soil What erodes the TOP of the cliffs __________________________________________ List the 2 major mechanisms of erosion at the TOP of cliffs Weathering Mass Wasting BeforeAfterErosionErosion24.Why are there more large rocks piled up on one side ofthe Spanish wall than the other What piled them upThey were piled up by waves or longshore drift to move sediments alongside shorelines25.What erodes cliffs at the bottomOcean waves26.At the moment, it probably does not look like they canattack the bottom of the cliffs. When can theyDuring storm or high tides when water level is higher27.Are the sediments on the rocky beach large smalla mixture of both large and small sedimentsa mixture of both large and small sediments Are the sediments on the rocky beach sharp (angular) smooth a mixture of both sharp and smooth sediments Both sharp and smooth sediments make tides different from ordinary waves What are tides sea level (oceans surface) slowly goes up and down over a large area How long does it take for sea level to go from high tide to low tide Around 5 to 7 hoursHow many high tides are there each day Around two The Sun also affects theHow many low tides are there each day Around two tides but its effects areweaker than the Moons.30. What causes the tides gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun on the waters along with Earths rotation31.Is sea level ever higher than it is right nowYes, due to therecent positioning of themoon at Perigee What evidence is there that the sea level was higher earlier today How or why do these observations support the idea that sea level was higher earlier today Seaweed Location Seaweed was found _____________ feet from the water. Location of Wet and Dry Sediments The beach was wet up to _____________ feet from the water and dry further up the beach. Shape of Beach Sediments Sharp or Round Seems to be sharp Sharp indicates possibility of less wave erosion exposure Smooth indicates longer exposure to wave action Bottom of Cliff Vertical Rock or Sloped Sediments _________________________ Vertical rock is produced by wave erosion. Sloped sediments are produced by sediment deposition erosion. The Origin of the Cliffs What are the white layers made of calcium carbonate What are the other layers made of Sandstone I guess compacted sand Mudstone made of compacted mud and clay Where did the rock of the coastal cliffs form on the ocean floor Rivers and Runoff Layers Coastal Cliffs UpliftFault Different sediments pile up on the ocean floor at different times. Some are washed off the land (e.g., sand, mud), and others are simply the bodies of marine algae and animals. Over time, the water is squeezed out by the weight of the sediments above. Chemical residues left behind glue the sediments into solid rock called sedimentary rock. Fossils of marine animals35. Why isnt the rock of cliffs still beneath the oceanlike olive snails and clamsWhat happenedhave been found in the due to the tectonic activities, it has uplifted the crust above sea level rocks of the cliffs. Stamp Box (if we cannot visit tide pools) Write your name in this box. Note the sperm whale fossil. What is the name of the island to the south Notice the small holes in some of the rocks. What makes the holes Can you see places where the water looks brownish just offshore Tide-pooling Note If we cannot go tide pooling because the tide is not low enough during our visit, then you will need to complete the tide-pooling questions by looking at the tide-pooling pictures found under topic 14A in the Labs portion of the course website. Click on the slides and audio files for part 2. What is a tide pool _____a shallow pool of water often seen on rocky surface during low tide which traps water flow backward to ocean What is tide pooling Expedition of tide pool to study and know its lifeform High TideTide Pool Low Tide List 3 STATIONARY animals that you observed. Then, sketch their appearance, and describe how they feed. Name Barnacles Sketch Mussels Feeding Sea anemones utilizes its tentacles to hold on small creatures At HIGH tide, are animals and algae on the dry rocks above the sea surface (out-of-the-water) or underwater underwater Could the animals in the tide pool area survive if they were out of the ocean all the time Theyll not be able to survive because tide pool need sustainable moisture and during lower tide being exposed to temporary air with minimal water is challenging to adapt for the animals Why or why not Do most of the animals that are found in tide pools drift in at high tide and settle in new places each day at low tide, or do they live in the tide pools at both high tide and low tide Where are there more animals algae, near the edge of the water or far from the water near the cliff more animals algae near the edge of the water. Write more life and less life for each arrow in the pictures below High Tide Low Tide Tide Pool Where is algae the most abundant, lower on the rocks and in the tide pools or on top of the dry rockslower on the rocks and in the tide pools 44.Where are there more animals, in holes and creviceswhere water remains trapped when the tide goes downor outside the holes and crevicesAs seen in in holes and crevices with trapper moisture and water 45.Which animals and algae will spend the most time underwatereach day, those close to the edge of the water and in the tide poolsor those close to the cliffsclose to the edge of the water and in the tide pools 46.Do most of the animals who live in the tide poolsprefer to be out of the water or underwaterUnderwater How can you tell In other words, what have you observed (seen) which supports your belief Explain how or why it supports your belief. Cabrillo Beach ASA (14A) Review Hints Advice Coastal Wetlands When asked what wetlands look like or what is found in them, LOOK AT THE PICTURES in the slides, and describe what you see. Do NOT read about wetlands, and then list generic information about them. Note Notice that water in wetlands is murky (see the pictures), so clearly sunlight is not more available in wetlands than in the coastal ocean. Which organisms are at the bottom of the ocean food chain What do they need to survive Why do they need it Why is this substance more abundant in wetlands than along the coast Why are animals abundant in wetlands What is the most important reason that animals are attracted to the wetlands Note Animals do NOT eat nutrients. Animals do not filter nutrients out of the water. The Waves, the Breakwater, and Beaches Discuss why the breakwater was built. In other words, after you state what the breakwater does, discuss why this is beneficial to the people who work in the harbor. Make sure that you explain why the water in one place (the harbor or along the coast) is more polluted or less clean than the other place. Make sure that you discuss why the objects on the cliffs are beneficial. In other words, explain how they help the homeowner reach their objectives. Storm Drain Pollution, Cliff Erosion, Beach Sediments, and Tides Make sure that you discuss the primary causes of erosion at the TOP of the cliffs and bottom of the cliffs. Make sure you give a detailed description when discussing the evidence that sea level goes up and down each day. For example, make sure you discuss WHERE the evidence is relative to the shoreline in the pictures, and how the land farther from the shoreline is different simply stating that you saw seaweed on the beach or wet sand is not satisfactory. Tide-pooling To determine whether the organisms prefer to be in the water or out- of-the-water, use the BEST evidence that you would have seen if you had gone on the ASA. In other words, consider the implications of the observations from the pictures in the slides (the answers to the previous questions). Being active is not necessarily a good sign that an organism likes an environment. Motion and other signs of activity may be a desperate attempt to survive harsh conditions. There is better evidence that can be used to support the hypothesis that the organisms prefer to be underwater.

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