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Central Coast State Parks Association | CCSPA Central Coast State Parks Association | CCSPA
  • Who we Are
    • Mission and Vision
    • Board & Staff
    • Join Our Team
      • Job Opportunities
      • Board Service
      • Internships
      • Volunteering
    • Transparency
    • Partnerships
    • Sponsor Recognition
    • Contact Us
  • What We Do
    • Our Impact
    • Programs
      • School Groups
      • Traveling Museum Exhibits
    • Press & Publications
      • Podcast
      • Blog
      • In The News
    • Nature Notes Newsletter
    • Awards
  • Events
    • Event Calendar
    • Adventures With Nature
    • CCSPA Movie Night
    • Mind Walks Lectures
    • Butterfly Ball
  • Visit
    • Parks We Support
      • Cayucos State Beach
      • Harmony Headlands State Park
      • Hearst San Simeon State Park
      • Estero Bluffs State Park
      • Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve
      • Montaña de Oro & Spooner Ranch
      • Morro Bay State Park & Museum of Natural History
      • Morro Strand State Beach
      • Oceano Dunes & Oso Flaco Lake
      • Pismo State Beach
    • Nature Stores
    • Local Resources
  • Support
    • Become a Friend of CCSPA
    • Business & Corporate Giving
    • More Ways To Give
  • Store
  • Donate

Beach

Central Coast State Parks Association | CCSPA / Beach / Page 3

It’s King Tide Season!

King Tides—what are they?  Where did the name come from?  When do they happen? Here are some of the answers. King Tides got their name in Australia, where they have... read more →
  • November 9, 2020
  • Faylla Chapman
  • No Comments
  • Beach, Climate change, Environment, Outdoor Recreation, Travel, Uncategorized

Horn Sharks and Skates

Horn Sharks Have you ever worried about the sharks in Morro Bay?  There is even an area called Shark Inlet! Horn Shark feeding on the sea floor. Image courtesy of... read more →
  • October 26, 2020
  • Diana Barnhart
  • No Comments
  • Beach, Flora and Fauna, Marine Biology, Uncategorized

One Good “Tern” Deserves Another

Walking along Morro Strand I hear high-pitched screeches in the sky. I turn and see a cluster of terns wheeling onto shore. Sixty or more settle their white bodies onto... read more →
  • October 8, 2020
  • Norma Wightman
  • No Comments
  • Beach, Birds, Flora and Fauna, Species Identification, Uncategorized

News from the Beach #6

Palm trees in the ocean? Surely you jest! Nope-just a different type of palm-a seaweed one. Postelsia palmaeformis, the sea palm, is a dead ringer for a land-type palm tree. It lives in the... read more →
  • October 5, 2020
  • Faylla Chapman
  • No Comments
  • Beach, Botany, Education, Environment, Flora and Fauna, Marine Biology, Photography, Species Identification, Uncategorized

News from the Beach #5

Sandcastles? Worms? These go together? Well, sandcastles are not just for kids. The sandcastle worm, Phragmatopoma californica lives in massive sand formations on rocks in the mid intertidal area. You... read more →
  • September 15, 2020
  • Faylla Chapman
  • No Comments
  • Beach, Education, Environment, Flora and Fauna, Invertebrates, Marine Biology, Photography, Uncategorized

Look out for Black and White Waders

I’m lucky to live near Morro Strand, so most mornings find me striding along the beach, binoculars at hand ready for anything that comes into view. A few days ago... read more →
  • September 2, 2020
  • Norma Wightman
  • No Comments
  • Beach, Environment, Flora and Fauna, Photography, Species Identification

Why Are the Waves Glowing BLUE???

We’ve had a new treat on the Central Coast in the past few years--glowing blue waves!!!  The glow is caused by wave action that disturbs millions of microalgae called dinoflagellates,... read more →
  • August 21, 2020
  • Karen Watts
  • No Comments
  • Beach, Environment, Flora and Fauna, Invertebrates, Marine Biology, Photography, Uncategorized

LIVE from the SLO Coast District — It’s Coastal Explorers Virtual Summer Camp!

Camper Lillie shows off her finished seastar - photo credit Camper Parent Jen Lillie really enjoyed the week this week, and has been sharing her knowledge with us daily. Robin... read more →
  • August 14, 2020
  • Cara OBrien and Robyn Chase
  • No Comments
  • Beach, Education, Environment, Flora and Fauna, K-12, Lifestyle, Outdoor Recreation, Uncategorized

WHAT ART IS THIS?

Why, Diatom Art, of course! Each section in the photograph above is a microscopic diatom shell.  Diatoms are phytoplankton, or microalgae. Their shells are made primarily of silica, which is... read more →
  • August 10, 2020
  • Karen Watts
  • No Comments
  • Beach, Environment, Flora and Fauna, Invertebrates, Marine Biology, Species Identification

What’s That Dead Thing?

The Speedy Little Sand Crab The Pacific sand crab, (Emerita analoga), aka mole crab , is a small invertebrate decapod crustacean — meaning it lacks a backbone, but has five... read more →
  • August 5, 2020
  • Sharon Iranpour
  • No Comments
  • Beach, Environment, Flora and Fauna, Invertebrates, Marine Biology, Outdoor Recreation, Species Identification, Uncategorized
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Recent Posts

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  • Estero Bluffs State Park August 5, 2025
  • Prescribed Burns on the Central Coast July 30, 2025
  • Moonlit Wings and Wild Things: Nocturnal Life in SLO’s State Parks June 27, 2025
  • Dog Rules on the Central Coast: Where Your Furry Friend Is Welcome in State Parks June 20, 2025

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202 Tank Farm Road (Suite H2) San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Phone: 805.548.0390 E-Mail: info@centralcoastparks.org Web: centralcoastparks.org

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