Historical Changes in Southern California Rocky Intertidal Seaweeds and Macroinvertebrates

Thursday June 11th, 12-1 pM PT

Steven Murray

Professor Emeritus CSU Fullerton

Historical context is often essential for understanding the status of coastal ecosystems. In
southern California, the coastline changed substantially during the rapid human
population growth of the 1940s and 1950s, and these changes have continued with
ongoing urbanization, population expansion, and shifting ocean conditions. In this
presentation, I discuss apparent changes in rocky intertidal seaweeds and
macroinvertebrates from the 1950s through the early 2000s, drawing on published
literature, personal observations, and research conducted in my laboratory. Emphasis is
placed on providing historical context and identifying trends in biogeography, population
parameters, species abundance, community composition, and primary productivity on
southern California rocky shores.