Baby Bull Kelp in the wrong spots...

Poor baby bull kelp! They keep trying to grow in places that are simply too high on the beach. One good low tide on a hot day, or one good wind storm at low tide, and WHAMMO. They're done for. Nereocystis (bull kelp) floats along with all sorts of other unfortunate algae are all washed up along our shore lines after last week's low tide cycles.

Washed up seaweed is good news for sand fleas! Previously the sand fleas were all hungrily wondering when the manna (washed up seaweeds) was going to come. The good news is that sand fleas are named for their prodigious jumping skill and are not fleas and don't bite. Beach hopper

is a better common name for this group of amphipod crustaceans. The one pictured at right with big long antenna is named Orchestoidea californiana. (photo at right by Peter J. Bryant)

Orchestoidea are excellent food for small birds, raccoons, moles, and beetles. Those beach hoppers that are unlucky to be caught by the incoming tide seem like they would make excellent fish food. Walking the beach as the tide rises is really amazing because of all the wild gymnastics occurring near your toes.

So the next time you see that pile of seaweed at the high tide line, flip it over and be amazed by the detritivores hopping everywhere. (PS - they are safe to handle and often seen are mama's carrying their eggs).

Pick up the small plastic trash embedded in the poor kelp while you are at it!