Catalina Island Leadership Program

Phoenix Country Day School

Kelp Forest Information Links

Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuaries

For the traditional eighth grade trip at Phoenix Country Day School we visited Catalina Island. Catalina is one of te southern Channel Islands, that are off the coast of southern California. We went there to study the ocean and how the El Nino affects the water in that area. We were also divided into small groups and we split up as we performed activities such as snorkeling, kayaking, stargazing, hiking, as well s team-building activities. Join us in our journey as we explore the fantastic secrets of the extraordinary ocean.

Once we arrived, we were split up into ‘C.E.L.P. groups’ and began to collect data for individual research projects. Our group decided to research the garibaldi (a dazzlingly beautiful fish painted a vivid orange color) and what factors influence where it might be located. As we snorkeled, we were able to see the marine life up close. We used the GPS to mark waypoints for where we saw a Garibaldi. When we kayaked, we took certain measurements such as the depth, sea surface temperatures, and the salinity of the water.

After a seemingly long week of tedious research, our group was able to compile sufficient data for our project. Some of the things we learned about the garibaldi included the fact that they can be found circling around the many kelp plantations, with the intent of food and shelter. They would mostly venture around the seafloor(at around 5 meters depth) , safe from the fishing boats and possible which might endanger their existence predators.
Had there been a drastic change during the El Nino year, the sea surface temperature would exceed the tolerance limit for the kelp. The kelp would then be deprived from life, and the Garibaldi would soon die.

One of the major problems we faced in completing our project was keeping track of our gathered data. When we returned from our trip, we realized that most of the information we collected was gone. This increased our difficulty in answering our question. For future expeditions to Catalina, we suggest you keep track of your data layers, and you fill out every blank on the data collection sheet. Other than that, the trip was an amazing experience and we hope you will enjoy it as much as we did.