PartinG sHot

by John Karachewski, PhD

The Morro Bay estuary is a 2,300-acre semi-enclosed body of water. The estuary encompasses the lower reaches of Chorro and Los Osos creeks, a wide range of wetlands, salt and freshwater marshes, intertidal mud flats, eelgrass beds, and other subtidal habitats. Morro Bay hosts one of the most significant and least disturbed wetland systems along the central California coast about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The bay is also an important stop on the Pacific Flyway, providing seasonal feeding grounds for more than a hundred species of migratory birds.

Morro Rock at the entrance to Morro Bay is a State Historic Landmark. For over 400 years, Morro Rock has been an important navigational aid for mariners because it’s a prominent coastal landmark at 576 feet tall.

Morro Rock is a 24-million-year-old rhyolitic volcanic plug and is located at the western end of a chain of fourteen aligned volcanic plugs that extend southeast from Morro Bay through the city of San Luis Obispo (16 miles). The volcanic plugs were probably intruded along a complex fault system in the region, which provided a preferential pathway for the rising magma.

The Morro Bay National Estuary Program works to protect and restore the Morro Bay estuary for people and wildlife. The Estuary Program is a collaborative, non-regulatory, nonprofit organization that brings citizens, local governments, nonprofit organizations, state and federal agencies, and landowners together to support a healthy environment and vibrant local communities. Their Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) defines the priority issues for the Morro Bay estuary and watershed and includes action plans to effectively address those issues. The 2022 CCMP priority issues include: accelerated sedimentation, bacterial contamination, elevated nutrient levels, toxic pollutants, scarce freshwater resources, preserving biodiversity, and environmentally balanced uses.

Photographed by John Karachewski, PhD, on February 5, 2022. Photograph taken at the El Moro Elfin Forest in Los Osos at 35.332626° and -120.830200°. The Elfin Forest includes a 0.8-mile boardwalk loop that provides wheelchair access and protects the Forest’s sensitive habitat. Other recreational activities in the greater Morro Bay region include biking, bird watching, boating, camping, fishing, hiking, kayaking, and water sports.