Toyon Bay

Toyon Bay Restoration Sites

We chose these two specific sites for restoration primarily based on their historical presence of kelp — Point Site and Pinnacle Site.

At each site, we are documenting the presence of Sargassum and Giant Kelp to monitor the progress of our project. We're monitoring Giant Kelp abundance, assessing its reproductive capacity and measuring the extent of canopy coverage. For Sargassum, we're recording both average and maximum height. Given the project's dynamic nature, we may adjust documentation based on findings over time.

Point Site

Given that we're in the early stages of this project, we're conducting a baseline study to evaluate the current conditions at each site. This means we’re establishing a reference point or “baseline.” As this project continues, we can refer back to this baseline to assess the effectiveness of our methods. We’ll continue to update this data regularly so stay tuned for updates!

Below is the latest report from March 2024

Giant Kelp

  • Total Amount of Kelp Plants: 19

  • Reproductive Kelp Plants: 10

  • Kelp Canopy: none

As the project progresses, we hope to see an increase in the Giant Kelp measurements.

Sargassum

  • Average Sargassum Height: 1.1 m

  • Maximum Sargassum Height: 2.5 m

As the project progresses, we hope to see a decrease in the Sargassum measurements.

Pinnacle Site

Given that we're in the early stages of this project, we're conducting a baseline study to evaluate the current conditions at each site. This means we’re establishing a reference point or “baseline.” As this project continues, we can refer back to this baseline to assess the effectiveness of our methods. We’ll continue to update this data regularly so stay tuned for updates!

Below is the latest report from March 2024

Giant Kelp

  • Total Amount of Kelp Plants: 2

  • Reproductive Kelp Plants: 2

  • Kelp Canopy: 0.25 m2

As the project progresses, we hope to see an increase in the Giant Kelp measurements.

Sargassum

  • Average Sargassum Height: 2 m

  • Maximum Sargassum Height: 3.5 m

As the project progresses, we hope to see a decrease in the Sargassum measurements.

Why Toyon Bay?

Located in a protected cove only two miles from Avalon, Toyon Bay presents an optimal location for kelp restoration efforts for several reasons.

  • Historical Presence of Kelp

    With a rich legacy in conducting marine science programs on Catalina Island, CIMI has firsthand knowledge of Toyon Bay's historical kelp coverage. We're on a mission to restore what once thrived!

  • Access to Resources

    Our proximity to several resources — aquariums, dive gear, boats, cameras, etc — will facilitate the project's rapid progress, enabling efficient data and media capture for the restoration research.

  • Connect Students to Project

    CIMI Toyon Bay engages 16,000 students annually through school programs and summer camps. Our efforts will increase student participation in kelp restoration, deepen their understanding of climate change impacts and instill confidence in their ability to positively influence the ocean’s health.