ocean - Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Santa Cruz Sea Monsters with Geoffrey Dunn (recording)

Santa Cruz has a long history of fishing lore, including the legend of the “Old Man of the Monterey Bay.” Geoffrey Dunn is a fourth-generation member of the Santa Cruz Italian fishing colony who grew up with stories about the “Old Man” and sea monsters as a boy, which has influenced his work as journalist, filmmaker, and historian. Join us for the online talk exploring local myths and legends in honor of the exhibit, Maritime Mysteries and Monsters.

About the Speaker

Geoffrey Dunn, Ph. D., is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker and historian and has written extensively about California culture and history. He is the author of several books, including Santa Cruz Is in the Heart (Volumes I and II); The Santa Cruz Wharf: Images of America; Chinatown Dreams: The Life and Photography of George Lee; and The Lies of Sarah Palin. His films include Dollar a Day, 10¢ a Dance: A Historic Portrait of Filipino Farm Workers in America; Chinese Gold: The Chinese of the Monterey Bay Region;, Calypso Dreams, and The Glamour Boyz Again. He also served as the on-screen narrator of A Day on the Bay: Portrait of a Ligurian Fishing Colony. Dunn has been writing about Monterey Bay’s maritime history for more than four decades.

*Cartoon by Thommy Thompson, San Francisco Call-Bulletin, 1942.*

Video: Kelp and Conservation

This Collections Close-Up video explores two kinds of conservation: the preservation of biodiversity records in the form of marine algae specimens and the fight to save the kelp forests of the California Coast.

About the series: Zoom into the stories, secrets, and science of our collections during monthly webinars with Collections Manager Kathleen Aston. This live event is an extension of our monthly Collections Close-Up blog, with added insights and intrigue. Members are invited to participate in this program before it is made available to the general public as well as ask questions directly of Kathleen.

Not yet a member? Join today!

Resources:

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History Algae of Monterey Bay Guide: https://www.santacruzmuseum.org/monterey-bay-algae-guide/
Collections Close-Up Blog: Kelp and Conservation: https://www.santacruzmuseum.org/category/collections-close-up/
AlgaeBase global algal database: https://www.algaebase.org/
Getting started with tidepooling: https://baynature.org/2019/08/20/how-do-i-start-out-tidepooling/
Video about algae preparation from the British Museum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slitTRUgQA0
Jepson index of seaweed flora: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/seaweedflora/kelp/index.html
Recent NatGeo article on the kelp crisis: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/04/california-critical-kelp-forests-disappearing-warming-world-can-they-be-saved
Peer-reviewed paper on North Coast kelp collapse: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-51114-y
Ocean Protection Council’s strategic plan: http://www.opc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/pdf/2020-2025-strategic-plan/OPC-2020-2025-Strategic-Plan-FINAL-20200228.pdf
Ocean Protection Council virtual meeting agenda (next Friday 6/19): http://www.opc.ca.gov/2020/05/ocean-protection-council-meeting-june-19-2020/
Reef Check California homepage: https://reefcheck.org/california/ca-overview
Watermen’s Alliance urchin removal events: https://www.facebook.com/groups/158992911481142/

Ocean Sing-Along

In honor of World Oceans Day, we’re celebrating through song! Sing-along with our Education Coordinator Chris as he shares two of his favorite songs from The Beatles — Octopus’s Garden and Help! (adapted by Chris to become Kelp!)

Love the ocean? Explore more fun items in our Online Museum Store.

Post by Chris

Monterey Bay Algae Guide

Dip your toes into the world of algae with this illustrated guide to local species and foraging ethics.

The front cover of Monterey Bay Algae: An Illustrated Guide to Appreciating Algae

Monterey Bay Algae: An Illustrated Guide to Appreciating Algae (PDF | HTML)

Monterey Bay Algae Guide (Spanish Version) (PDF)

Explore more items about the ocean in our Online Museum Store.

Post by Marisa