Seasons in the Sea - A month-by-month guide to Central California sea life

Section contents:

Coastal estuary; Image credit: City of Mountain View

Coastal estuaries

in July

< Prev. month Next month >

Diver-at-work symbol (c) Kim Fulton-Bennett This page under construction.
Here are some of the topics that will be covered in this chapter. More text and images will eventually be added to this section. Thank you for your patience.

Estuary events in July:

  • The landward portions of wetlands may become hypersaline due to evaporation.
  • Pachygrapsus crab larvae reach peak numbers in Elkhorn slough, presumably due to hatching of eggs that were carried by females in May and June.
  • Polyorchis jellyfish bloom during some years.
  • Young staghorn sculpin and shiner perch reach peak numbers in Elkhorn Slough, then leave slough to colonize sandy-bottom areas.
  • Larvae of anchovies and longjaw mudsuckers appear in Elkhorn Slough July-August.
  • Sticklebacks spawn in estuaries.
  • Young of Caspian terns fledge and learn to hunt from parents.
  • Forster's tern chicks hatch and fledge, feeding on sticklebacks and staghorn sculpins.
  • Great egrets and snowy egrets nest in trees and bushes near estuaries.
    All text © Kim Fulton-Bennett                About            Contact            Disclaimer