Page 1

Imagine you are flying in

from a distant galaxy to our solar system. You 

come through the icy debris of the Kuiper 

Belt, past Neptune and Uranus, on by the gas 

giants, Saturn and Jupiter. Then, after making 

it through a belt of asteroids, you hover over 

little, red, rocky Mars for a look. Next you see 

a lovely, bright blue orb partially shrouded in 

white clouds. It looks like no other place in 

the neighborhood. What gives it its distinctive 

look?

 Liquid water.

Billions of years ago according to most 

scientists, Earth materialized out of collisions 

of dust, gas, and water that resulted from a 

gigantic cosmic explosion called the “Big 

Bang.” The origin of earth’s water is not 

entirely known but several theories exist 

to explain it. As our planet coalesced out 

of this dust cloud, it grew very hot, and 

volcanic eruptions happened frequently. The 

eruptions brought water to the surface as well 

as magma. The earth’s gravity increased and 

more water from the inner solar system was 

captured by our growing planet. In addition, 

comets—largely made of ice—collided with the 

young Earth. These are proposed sources are 

proposed for Earth's water.

Our nearest planetary neighbors, Venus and 

Mars had similar formative experiences, but 

the position of their orbits around our Sun 

may have prevented them from becoming 

liquid water worlds. Venus is closer to the Sun, 

and Mars farther from the Sun than Earth. 

Venutian water may have boiled off because its 

surface temperature is so hot. Martian water 

may once have flowed, but now is thought to 

be locked up as ice, mostly below the planet’s 

rocky, red surface.

So we live on this blue planet—because life, 

as we know it, requires liquid water to form. 

By three billion years ago, the ocean basins 

were filled with water to about their current 

depths, and the first living things probably 

formed in warm, shallow, ocean water. Inside, 

you can learn more about our oceans and our 

connections to them.

Inside Page

Why The Ocean Matters 2

In The Zone 2

Land And Water In Motion 3

The Bottom of the Food Chain 4

Journeys 5

Humans And Oceans 6

Food For Thought 7

Out At The Point 7

Kid’s Activities 8

Visible in the foreground is the island of Andros in the Bahamas, surrounded by azure-colored shallow waters, 

looking out to the continental shelf and the deeper blue of the Atlantic Ocean.

NASA 2011

PLANET OCEAN

Point Reyes National Seashore National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

How inappropriate to call 

this planet Earth when it 

is quite clearly Ocean. Arthur C. Clarke

Visit the Point Reyes 

Lighthouse, walk the 

stairs and get a stamp to 

prove you did it!

Page 8 has activities for 

kids and you can collect 

some animal stamps!

Please use caution when 

recreating near or in 

the Pacific Ocean. The 

Point Reyes beaches are 

subject to rip currents 

and rogue waves that 

pose significant dangers.

SAMPLE TEXT

SAMPLE TEXT

Why We Live Here

liquid water
Page 2

Why The Ocean Matters

Mesopelagic Zone—To 3300 feet (1000 m) 

below the surface—The twilight zone

• Swordfish

• Wolf Eel 

Bathypelagic Zone—To 13,000 feet 

(4,000 m) below the surface—

The midnight zone (no sunlight)

• Anglerfish 

• Many Octopus

The Atmosphere—(an ocean of water, in the air):

• Tufted Puffins can dive up to 196 feet (60 m)

• Pigeon Guillemots can dive up to 212 feet (65m)

Epipelagic Zone—To 650 feet (200 m) below the 

surface—The sunlit upper layer of the ocean 

• Moon Jellyfish

• Many Sharks

• Dolphins

Abyssopelagic Zone—To a known depth of 

36,067ft or 6.831 mi (10, 993 m)—The abyss

 • Microbes

• *

Intertidal Zone 

(In Epipelagic Zone)

Splash Zone

organisms depend 

on sea spray for 

moisture, adapted 

to long periods of 

exposure

• Barnacles

• Ribbed Limpets

High Tide Zone

organisms covered 

at most high tides 

• Turban Snails

• Chiton

Mid Tide Zone

• Ochre Sea Star

• Green Anemone

Low Tide Zone

most protection from 

desiccation; inhabited 

by the most number 

of species 

• Dungeness Crab

• Sea Hare

* The Abyssopelagic zone continues to yield its 

secrets. In December 2014 a snailfish was found 

5 miles (8 km) deep in the Mariana Trench!

In The Zone

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

The Earth has one ocean 

with many basins.

The ocean covers about 

70% of the Earth’s surface, 

and contains about 97% of 

the Earth’s water. 

Half of Earth’s oxygen is 

produced in the sunlit ocean 

layers, and half of the carbon 

dioxide in the atmosphere is 

absorbed by the ocean. 

Most rain, the source of much of our 

drinking water, comes from the ocean. 

The ocean is a major influence on 

weather and climate. 

The ocean and ocean life shape the 

shoreline features of the Earth. 

 

Life in the ocean is diverse. The smallest 

known virus and the largest animal live in 

the ocean. 

Many geologic and geochemical cycles begin in 

the ocean. 

Most of our knowledge of the ocean comes from 

shallower waters. Less than 5% has been explored.

Humans and all living things are inextricably 

connected to the ocean.

It’s the blue heart of the 

planet — and we should 

take care of our heart. It’s 

what makes life possible 

for us. 

 —Sylvia Earle

1

2

O2

CO2 3 4

6

?

?

9

10

7

8

5
Page 3

Land and Water

Continental crust 15–45 miles (25-75 km) thick

Oceanic crust 4.5–6.3 miles (7-10 km) thick

Our planet’s surface is divided into thin, 

stiff plates that move around on molten 

magma. If all of the plates were made of the 

same material, and the surface of the earth 

was smooth, the oceans would cover the 

earth to an average depth of 6500 ft. (2000 

m)! But there are two plate types: denser, 

thinner, balsalt oceanic rocks and lighter, 

thicker, granitic, continental rocks. If you 

put a wooden block and a styrofoam block 

in a swimming pool, both would float, but 

the denser wood would float lower than the 

styrofoam. Similarly, the dense basalt sinks 

deeper into the mantle, creating basins where 

the water collects to form the great oceans of 

the world.

Water evaporates from the ocean and 

falls over land as rain. As the ocean water 

evaporates, the minerals—mostly salt—

remain behind in the sea. These ocean 

minerals originally came from rain water 

flowing over continental rocks, dissolving 

minerals from those rocks, and flowing out 

to sea. Deep in ocean trenches, there are 

hydrothermal vents that also release minerals 

into the oceans. This is why ocean water is on 

average seventy times more salty than fresh 

water.

Because of the extra minerals, saltwater 

is denser than fresh water. When you see 

large rivers flowing out into the ocean, the 

fresh water floats on top which causes color 

variations of the nearshore waters.

Oceans and Climate

The Earth rotates from east to west 

contributing to the circular movement of air 

across the oceans. Relative to this rotation, 

the air is deflected to the right in the Northern 

Hemisphere, and to the left in the Southern 

Hemisphere, causing winds to develop. These 

global winds drag on the oceans’ surface 

causing surface currents, and the currents 

form ocean-circling spirals called gyres.

The oceans strongly impact the world’s 

climate. Energy from the sun is absorbed and 

then circulated around the world in warm 

surface currents.

Ocean Motion

Water in the ocean is constantly moving. A 

deep, global conveyor current underlies the 

surface currents. These are the thermohaline 

currents. These currents are density driven, 

resulting from differences in temperature 

and salinity. Dense, cold, salty water sinks 

while warm, less salty water rises to the 

surface. The “start” of the ocean conveyor 

belt is in the northern polar regions. Cold 

arctic water sinks to the ocean bottom, and 

is carried south, eventually flowing all the 

way to Antarctica! Over time this water 

warms up again, rises to the surface and 

flows back north, where warm water currents 

carry water from the equator to the north, 

and heat is lost again to the atmosphere in 

the northern latitudes. This motion forms a 

globe-encircling oceanic conveyer belt. One 

drop of water spends about 1000 years making 

a round trip of over 25,000 miles! 

Ocean Waves

A wave is a disturbance that carries energy 

from one place to another. What we are 

witnessing when we look at waves is the 

energy moving through the water, not the 

water moving horizontally any significant 

distance. The waves we see breaking on the 

beach come from winds blowing over the 

ocean’s surface, along with deeper internal 

waves. Underwater earthquakes also cause 

waves—big waves called tsunamis. 

Arrival on Shore

As ocean waves approach a shore, the motion 

they generate deep down begins to interact 

with the sea floor. This slows the waves down 

and causes the crests in a series of waves to 

bunch up—an effect called shoaling. The 

period of the waves does not change, but 

they gain height as the energy each contains 

is compressed into a shorter horizontal 

distance, and eventually break. Ocean waves 

can also refract, or bend, as they reach a 

coastline. This concentrates wave energy onto 

headlands and helps to shape the shoreline.

CONVERGENCE ZONE

Alaska

California

South Equatorial

North Pacific

Hawai’ian

Archipelago

Equatorial Countercurrent

North Equatorial

Kuroshio

Oyashio

Bering

The California Current 

The California Current flows south from 

latitude of British Columbia as part of the 

North Pacific gyre. This river of water flows 

along the coast from north to south and then 

rotates east near Baja California. Additionally 

during the spring months, easterly winds 

blow from north to south-east across the 

coastal waters and the warmer surface waters 

are replaced by much colder water from 

the sunless depths. This process, known as 

upwelling, is responsible for the very nutrientrich waters off the California Coast. 

Since the cold waters are rich with nutrients 

and more saturated with oxygen, they 

support a rich community of plankton (more 

on page 4) , the basis of the marine food 

chain. In general, the strongest upwelling 

happens between Point Conception and Cape 

Mendocino. The largest seabird rookery 

south of Alaska, the Farallon Islands, is 

situated in the middle of this area.

Ocean currents like the California Current, circulate the cold waters in the polar regions back to the equator. 

This helps to re-oxygenate these warmer waters. This movement creates gyres that can draw in, concentrate, 

and trap debris, such as plastic trash and fishing nets. More information on page 6.

Cape 

Mendocino

Point

Conception

Farallon

Islands

Point

Reyes

Zon

e

of Greatest

U

pwelling

Land and Water In Motion
Page 4

Plankton 

The complex relationships between 

producers and consumers in food webs on 

land are mirrored in our oceans. Plankton 

are organisms that drift in bodies of water. 

Their name comes from the Greek word 

planktos (πλαγκτός), meaning wanderer or 

drifter. The base level of the ocean food 

web are phytoplankton—tiny, sometimes 

microscopic plants—that live in the epipelagic 

zone, the top layer of the ocean. This layer 

extends to 660 feet (200 meters) the depth 

at which enough sunlight penetrates for 

photosynthesis to occur, and phytoplankton 

are therefore rarely found beneath this layer. 

Also living in the epipelagic zone are 

zooplankton, usually microscopic animals 

that forage on the phytoplankton and also 

prey on each other. This is a very diverse 

group, from members that are primitive 

protozoans to the larvae of more complex 

creatures such as jellies and squid. One type 

of zooplankton, copepods, were made famous 

by Spongebob Squarepants’ archenemy, 

named Plankton.

Adaptations to avoid predators include 

gathering in large swarms, being transparent, 

and producing bioluminescence. 

Bioluminescence is the production and 

emission of light by living organisms, and is 

an adaptation of some marine invertebrates 

and fish. Plankton may bioluminesce to 

distract, confuse, or discourage prey.

Dinoflagellates are a type of marine plankton 

that are not plants or animals, but have 

qualities of both. Dinoflagellates are a type 

of marine plankton that are not plants or 

animals, but have qualities of both. Some of 

these creatures are responsible for the algal 

blooms we call red tides, and for the sparkling 

bioluminescence in breaking waves at night.

Giant Kelp

Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) is the largest 

seaweed on Earth. It can grow 24 inches (60 

cm) per day and up to 100 ft (30 m) in a year. It 

grows at a depth of 30–100 ft (10–30 m), but in 

clear water can grow much deeper. The huge 

“root” called a holdfast is firmly attached to 

the seabed and when mature, can grow to 2 

feet (60 cm) in circumference. Several long, 

flexible stalks stretch toward the surface, 

have straplike fronds, buoyed by gas-filled 

bladders. The giant kelp’s fronds continue to 

grow after reaching the surface, floating as a 

dense canopy.

In kelp forests, including giant kelp and 

other species, invertebrates such as bristle 

worms, snails, feed on the holdfasts. A wide 

range of important fish, including many 

types of rockfish, are found in kelp forests. 

Marine mammals inhabit kelp forests for 

protection and food. These include sea lions 

and seals that feed on the fish. Sea otter and 

their pups use kelp forests as a safe haven 

from predators, and feed on the abundant 

invertebrates associated with the kelp. 

Gulls, terns, loons, grebes and cormorants 

dine on the many fish and invertebrates 

living in the kelp. Flies, maggots, and small 

crustaceans that are abundant in the kelp 

that is washed ashore provide a smorgasbord 

for birds such as shorebirds including the 

federally protected Western Snowy Plover. 

NOAA Photo NOAA Photo NPS Photo

In winter storms, massive piles of kelp wash up on the beaches at Point Reyes. At this point, fly larva, 

amphipods, bacteria, and fungi feast on the piles, working quickly to decompose them.

NOAA Photo

Photoplankton release oxygen as a by-product of 

photosynthesis. Algae and phytoplankton provide 

over half of oxygen we breathe—more than all land 

plants combined. One type of phytoplankton, called 

Prochlorococcus, may be the single most abundant 

species on earth! 

The Base of the Food Chain

Krill

Krill are small, shrimplike crustaceans which 

occur worldwide in all of the oceans. They 

are near the bottom of the food chain. Their 

main food is phytoplankton. Krill are eaten by 

whales, penguins, seals, squid, fish, and also 

by people. 

One defense krill have against predation 

is swarming, during which densities of 

20,000 individuals per cubic foot occur. This 

behavior confuses some predators. Krill also 

spend their days in the deeper parts of the 

ocean to avoid most predators and rise to the 

surface at night. Although krill have many 

predators, some species can live to be up to six 

years old!

Blue whales feed almost exclusively on krill, 

even though they are the largest animal that 

has ever lived. Blue whales grow to be as much 

as 100 (30 m) feet long, larger than the biggest 

dinosaur that ever lived on earth! These 

whales weigh up to 150 tons, and due to their 

immense size, they need to eat up to four tons 

of krill each day.

Did you know scientists are 

studying kelp on the West 

Coast to determine the 

radiation levels from the 

Fukushima reactor fallout? 

Kelp takes in elements 

including radioactive Cesium, 

Strontium, and Iodine and 

concentrates it in its tissues. 

Scientists can analyze kelp 

tissue samples for traces of 

these elements. 
Page 5

Migrations 

Why do animals migrate? Available resources 

vary seasonally, for example, food that is 

abundant in the summer is not in winter. 

Temperature variations mean some areas are 

only hospitable for mating and giving birth 

during one season. The place and season that 

is best for breeding may not be optimal for 

finding food. This means that some animals 

travel great distances searching for feeding 

and breeding grounds.

Gray whales undertake one of the longest 

migrations of any mammal, traveling up 

to 13,000 miles (21,000 km) from feeding 

grounds to breeding grounds and back every 

year. They reach their northern and southern 

destinations within 49 to 55 days. The Point 

Reyes lighthouse is a great location for gray 

whale observation during their migration, 

because the peninsula juts out 10 miles (16 

km) west, into the Pacific Ocean. 

Pinnipeds, such as seals, sea lions, and 

fur seals, are also known for making long 

journeys. Each year, the northern elephant 

seal migrates farther than most other marine 

mammals in the world, traveling as many 

as 14,000 miles (about 22,500 km). It is also 

the only mammal known to undertake two 

migratory journeys each year. 

About 1,800 of the world’s bird species 

are migratory. The record for the longest 

migration of any animal belongs to sooty 

shearwaters and Arctic terns, each of which 

migrate over 40,000 miles a year!

Many shark species travel thousands of miles 

through open water every year, scouring the 

ocean for food. Some white sharks travel 

across the Indian Ocean, from South Africa to 

Australia and back again and from California 

to Hawaii, over the course of a year.

Salmon are impressive for their ability to 

traverse both seawater and freshwater during 

their journey. They can travel hundreds 

of miles inland via rivers and waterways—

sometimes ascending thousands of feet as 

they migrate upstream—to spawn in the rivers 

where they were born.

Leatherback sea turtles have been recorded 

traveling across the Pacific Ocean between 

Asia and North America, a distance of over 

12,000 miles (19,000 km) in less than two 

years. Similar to salmon, they navigate back to 

the beach where they were born to dig a nest 

in the sand and lay their eggs.

Zooplankton float in the water column of the 

world’s oceans and seas and include creatures 

as diverse as jellies, copepods, krill, larval 

worms and snails, and juvenile fish. Theirs 

is a vertical migration of thousands of feet 

each day—up in search of food, and then back 

down to avoid predators.

Surface Behavior

Gray whales are often found 

traveling alone or in small 

groups of two to four. They 

are a coastal species, usually 

found within 6 miles of shore.

SPOUT SPY HOP BREACH SOUND

CHUKCHI

SEA

BERING

SEA

*POINT REYES

NATIONAL SEASHORE

WINTER 

CALVING 

AND 

BREEDING

GROUNDS

SUMMER

FEEDING

GROUNDS

ALASKA

CANADA

UNITED STATES

MEXICO

DORSAL RIDGE BLOW HOLE

PECTORAL FINS

FLUKE PEDUNCLE ROSTRUM

EYE

BARNACLE 

PATCHES

45 FEET 

12 FEET

BALEEN

Anela Ramos

100

80

60

40

20

0

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY

Pregnant females, 

males and juveniles

Newly pregnant females, 

males and juveniles Females and calves

Heading South Heading North

Journeys

Diving Behavior

Gray whales rarely pause on their 

migration, resting for only a few 

hours per day. They slowly swim 

to their destination following a 

somewhat predictable diving pattern 

at speeds of 3-5 mph, covering up to 

115 miles per day.

30–60 seconds 

for each shallow 

dive

Fluke appears 

on final dive

3–5 minutes 

for a deep dive

20 feet

100 feet

Baleen hangs from the upper jaw of the 

mouths of some whale species. The whale 

takes water into its mouth, then pushes the 

water out with its tongue. Animals such as 

amphipods, krill, and small fish are filtered 

through the baleen and trapped inside. 

Baleen is made of keratin, the 

same substance 

as human 

fingernails 

and hair, and 

continues 

to grow 

throughout the 

whale’s life.

12,000 mile migration

Amphipods

are crustaceans 

that scavenge 

in the ocean 

sediments. 

Gray whales 

love eating 

amphipods! They 

drag their heads along 

the bottom to stir up 

sediments and filter 

these tasty morsels 

through their baleen.

Want to learn more about the ocean?

Bodega Marine Laboratory 

University of California at Davis

bml.ucdavis.edu/

MarineBio Conservation Society

marinebio.org/

Monterey Bay Aquarium 

& Research Institute 

www.montereybayaquarium.org

www.mbari.org/

National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration

www.noaa.gov/

www.sanctuarysimon.org

National Park Service

http://www.nature.nps.gov/water/oceancoastal

Scripps Institution of Oceanography

University of California at San Diego

https://scripps.ucsd.edu/

Woods Hole 

Oceanographic Institution

www.whoi.edu/

The Humboldt squid 

(Dosidicus gigas), can grow 

to 6.2 ft (1.9 m) long and 

weigh up to 100 lb (50 kg). 

They are most commonly 

found at depths of 660 to 

2,300 ft (200 to 700 m), 

from Tierra del Fuego to 

California. Sightings Per Day

Phenomenal long-distance migrants, the Sooty 

Shearwater, Puffinus griseus migrates between the 

subarctic and the South Pacific each year.

NOAA Photo
Page 6

Humans and Oceans

Too Many 

Bottles In The Sea

Sailing home to California from Hawai’i in 

1997, Charles Moore discovered an enormous 

mass of largely plastic fragments, which was 

later dubbed the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. 

No precise measurements are available, 

because the ocean is always moving, but may 

be twice the size of the continental US. There 

are “garbage patches” in all 5 ocean basins. 

Most of the garbage is plastic—nearly two 

million bits per square mile. Where did it all 

come from? The sad answer is us. Disposable 

plastics are the greatest source of plastic 

pollution. Plastic bags, straws, bottles, 

utensils, lids, cups offer a small convenience, 

but remain on this planet forever. Trash on 

the ground could eventually get transported 

to a river ultimately leading to the ocean and 

carried around via currents. Hundreds of 

ocean animals, including birds, have been 

documented with plastic in their bellies. 

Follow the “4 Rs” of sustainable living: 

Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Join the 

“Bring Your Own” revolution and bring your 

own grocery bags, utensils, coffee cup and 

more and you’ll be amazed at how much less 

plastic you use. 

While visiting the beach, consider lending a 

hand and picking up trash at the beach and 

disposing it in a garbage can when you leave. 

Each individual action does make a difference. 

Rick Starr, CBNMS

Rosy rockfish on top shallow reef of Cordell Bank 

National Marine Sanctuary. Slow growing reefs are 

vulnerable to contact with fishing gear.

NOAA Photo

A Laysan albatross chick surrounded by brightly 

colored plastic trash on a beach on Midway Island.

KQED Quest

An employee of the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) inspects 

confiscated shark fins. 

Anela Ramos

Mola mola, or sunfish, can grow up to 11 ft (3.3 m) 

and weigh over 5,000 lbs (2,250 kg). They LOVE 

lion's mane jellyfish, but do you?

"Unless someone 

like you cares a 

whole awful lot,

Nothing is going to 

get better. It's not."

Dr. Seuss, 

The Lorax Andrew Castro

Also trapped and killed are seabirds, seals, 

dolphins, and sea turtles which, unable to 

reach the water’s surface and breathe, drown 

in the nets.

Some scientists predict that if these practices 

continue, it is possible that ocean fisheries 

could collapse by 2050 or sooner. With larger 

fish removed from the seas, jellyfish may 

become dominant in the food web. Jellyfish, 

anyone?

Like to eat fish? If you enjoy seafood, consider 

where it came from and how it was caught. 

The Seafood Watch card produced by the 

Monterey Bay Aquarium helps consumers 

make choices for seafood that have the 

least impact on the environment. www.

seafoodwatch.org.

Of Sharks And Men

Sharks belong to a group of animals called 

elasmobranchs whose skeletons are made of 

cartilage, not bone. There are over 500 species 

of sharks in the world and they come many 

sizes. The smallest sharks, called dogfish, 

are just 8-10 inches (20-25 cm) long, while 

the largest shark, the whale shark, can grow 

to over 40 ft (12 m) and weigh almost 50,000 

lbs (22 metric tons)! Many sharks don’t begin 

breeding until they are teenagers, and some 

live to be 70 years old.

Few shark species attack people. The white 

shark, tiger shark, bull shark, and oceanic 

whitetip shark are involved in most attacks. 

Worldwide, between 1580 and 2014 less than 

600 fatal human shark attacks have been 

documented. Compare that with over 3,500 

drowning deaths in 2011 in the U.S. alone! If 

galeophobia (fear of sharks) keeps people out 

of the water, sharks may actually save lives.

In comparison, shark researchers estimate 

that humans kill over 100 million sharks every 

year. Many are killed just for their fins. Once 

their fins are cut off the sharks are frequently 

thrown back into the ocean. Unable to 

swim, they bleed to death or succumb due to 

suffocation or starvation. Many sharks take so 

long to reach reproductive age, some species 

are now threatened with extinction. 

complex communities from disappearing 

from our world.

The Ocean is a 

Giant CO2 Sponge

The ocean has always absorbed C02, playing 

an important role in stabilizing global climate. 

Since the Industrial Revolution, human 

activity such as burning of fossil fuels and 

deforestation has put excess C02

 into the 

atmosphere creating carbon pollution. More 

C02

 in the atmosphere means more C02 in 

the ocean. The excess C02 (carbon pollution) 

is rapidly changing the ocean. When C02

dissolves in seawater, carbonic acid is formed. 

This chemical reaction leads to ocean 

acidification. Ocean acidity has increased 

by 30% since the beginning of the Industrial 

Revolution. This increase is 100x faster than 

any change in acidity experienced by marine 

organisms for at least the last 20 million 

years. With acidic ocean conditions, shelled 

animals have to work harder using more 

energy to make their carbonate shells and 

structures and in some areas of the ocean, the 

corrosive waters affect their reproduction and 

physiology. Human actions have accelerated 

ocean acidification, but human actions can 

also slow down the process. Any and all 

actions to reduce the use of fossil fuels also 

reduces the amount of carbon pollution 

added to the atmosphere and to the ocean. 

Choosing to use less energy- to burn less fossil 

fuel, emitting less C02

 will help ocean animals 

and plants. With our help ocean plants 

and animals may have time to adapt to the 

changing ocean.

Overfishing

Overfishing is the taking of marine species 

such as fish, shellfish and even mammals 

at a rate that is not sustainable and can 

disrupt ecosystems. In the 1800s, we nearly 

obliterated several species of whales to 

harvest whale blubber for lamp oil and 

lubricants for our machines. With the passage 

of the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 

1972, several species have rebounded in 

populations. Some fish, including California’s 

sardines, were also harvested to the brink of 

extinction by the 1950s, but their population 

was coindicentally affected by changes in 

climate.

The damage done by these industrial, deepwater trawlers, long-lines and gillnets has 

been large and broad. Nets can entangle 

and break coral, decimating reefs that take 

decades to form. Prized fish go to market, but 

unmarketable fish (also known as bycatch) 

die in the same nets, and are thrown back. 

What Will I Be 

When I Grow Up?

1—C 4—F

2—A 5—E

S T A R F I S H O O H O E G Y 3—B 6—D

I A F L D E F B C X E W N G P 

S U P I G E Y E T Y T M O R E 

C T A Z S C P A O G A R M A P 

F L C A T N X M P E M S E Y L 

R L I B N E M F U N I S N W E 

P I F A E C I L S N L O A H K 

L R I R R S G U B J C R K A C 

O K C N R E R K A F T T A L I 

O E O A U N A E R C N A G E G 

P V C C C I T P C P H B I B A 

E L E L J M I O L X P L C L L 

D B A E B U O S P A L A C E E 

I A N C L L N O H Z S O B M P 

T L S Q U O F B I A R T D E I 

F E P T E I H N D A R S I O P 

O E R D J B K D L G F K G C E 

M N J P L A N K T O N W T N R 

R A T S A E S

Kids Page Answers

308 steps

1,800,000 krill

leatherback sea turtle

gray whale

shark

ocher seastar

octopus

the ocean

kelp
Page 7

Anela Ramos NPS Photo NPS Photo

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Food For Thought

“It is a curious situation that the sea, 

from which life first arose should now 

be threatened by the activities of one 

form of that life. But the sea, though 

changed in a sinister way, will continue 

to exist; the threat is rather to life itself.”

— Rachel Carson, 

The Sea Around Us

“The poet Auden said, ‘Thousands have 

lived without love; none without water.’ 

Ninety-seven percent of Earth’s water 

is ocean. No blue, no green. If you think 

the ocean isn’t important, imagine Earth 

without it. Mars comes to mind. No 

ocean, no life support system. I gave a 

talk not so long ago at the World Bank 

and I showed this amazing image of 

Earth and I said, 'There it is! The World 

Bank!' That’s where all the assets are! 

And we’ve been trawling them down 

much faster than the natural systems can 

replenish them.”

— Sylvia Earle, 

Marine Biologist

“All the king’s horses and all the king’s 

men will never gather up all the plastic 

and put the ocean back together again.”

— Charles Moore, Oceanographer

POINT REYES 

NATIONAL SEASHORE

1 Bear Valley Road

Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

Bear Valley 

Visitor Center

415-464-5100

Lighthouse 

Visitor Center

415-669-1534 

Kenneth C. Patrick 

Visitor Center 

at Drakes Beach

415-669-1250

www.nps.gov/pore

CONTRIBUTORS

Sarah Allen, Ph.D. 

Ocean and Coastal 

Resources Program

Sarah King

Park Guide

Anela Ramos

Park Ranger

Mary Beth Shenton

Park Ranger

Eric Stearns

Park Guide 

Jennifer Stock

Cordell Bank 

National Marine 

Sanctuary

NPS Photo

Point Reyes is the windiest and foggiest 

place on the Pacific Coast, and conditions 

presented a major hazard to shipping. In the 

1900s, many ships went aground or sank, 

necessitating the establishment of the Point 

Reyes Lighthouse in 1870. Lighthouse keepers 

living here then struggled with long hours, 

harsh working conditions, isolation, and 

depression. A few were driven to drinking the 

metal cleaners, and at least one was carted 

away to an institution.

Today the Point Reyes Headland is still an 

adventure at any time of year. Winter and 

early spring the gray whales migrate by (see 

chart on page 5) and northern elephant seals 

are abundant on the beaches near Chimney 

Rock. Spring is the windiest time of year, 

when 40-plus mile-an-hour winds commonly 

pummel the promontory, and the stairs to the 

lighthouse close. Hold on to your hats! 

Spring and summer are the seasons when one 

can view the nesting Common Murres below 

the Point Reyes Lighthouse, and admire the 

abundant wildflowers blooming along the 

Chimney Rock Trail. Summer days tend to 

be foggy and relatively cold, but if you are 

looking for an air-conditioned retreat from 

triple digit temperatures in California’s 

Central Valley, come on by. In autumn, 

temperatures are warmer, and migratory 

birds—some blown wildly off course—rest in 

the Monterey cypress trees along the path to 

the Lighthouse Visitor Center. 

Just offshore are two national marine 

sanctuaries, the Gulf of the Farallones 

National Marine Sanctuary and Cordell 

Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Extending 

out to the edge of the continental shelf, 

these ocean preserves have protections that 

prevent oil and gas leasing and discharges 

into the waters. The craggy Farallon Islands, 

a National Wildlife Refuge, and the rocky 

submarine peaks of Cordell Bank rise from 

the floor of the Pacific Ocean. This network 

of marine protected areas also includes Point 

Reyes National Seashore, which embraces 

the only congressionally designated marine 

Wilderness south of Alaska, and several 

California State Marine Protected Areas that 

further limit fishing and protect species in the 

nearshore waters of the coast. 

The oceanographic conditions combined 

with diverse seafloor features such as islands, 

banks, canyons and seamounts create a 

unique "hotspot" that supports a diverse 

community of marine life above and below 

the surface. In addition to sustaining a 

vibrant ecosystem year round, the region is 

a migratory destination for seabirds, whales, 

seals, sea turtles and fish that travel thousands 

of miles annually to feast on the seasonal 

bounty of these waters.

The Top Five Questions At The Lighthouse

1. Is it always this foggy? About a third of the year, most notably in late summer, 

persistent fog envelops the lighthouse area. Some days it lifts in the afternoon, but 

not always.

2. Is it always this windy? Wind speeds of up to 133 miles-per-hour have been 

measured at the lighthouse. Spring is the windiest time, when, in 40+ mph winds, 

the stairs close for visitor safety reasons.

3. What causes all the foam on the ocean? Sea foam is created by the agitation 

of seawater that contains high amounts of dissolved organic matter. These 

compounds, churned up by breaking waves, form bubbles that stick to each other. 

4. What time do the whales go by? Whales don’t sleep for long periods like 

humans do. Instead they nap at the surface, and during their migration can be 

swimming by Point Reyes any time of day.

5. What is that concrete dome across from the visitor center? That is a cistern 

that was used for gathering and storing water.

PRNS Archives

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Rachel Carson 

and USFWS artist Bob Hines surveying the Atlantic 

Ocean in Maine, 1951.

NOAA

Printed on 

recycled paper

PRINTED WITH 

FUNDING FROM:

The 

Marin County 

Wildlife and 

Fisheries 

Commission

Wind, Fog, Whales—Oh My!
Page 8

S T A R F I S H O O H O E G Y

I A F L D E F B C X E W N G P

S U P I G E Y E T Y T M O R E

C T A Z S C P A O G A R M A P

F L C A T N X M P E M S E Y L

R L I B N E M F U N I S N W E

P I F A E C I L S N L O A H K

L R I R R S G U B J C R K A C

O K C N R E R K A F T T A L I

O E O A U N A E R C N A G E G

P V C C C I T P C P H B I B A

E L E L J M I O L X P L C L L

D B A E B U O S P A L A C E E

I A N C L L N O H Z S O B M P

T L S Q U O F B I A R T D E I

F E P T E I H N D A R S I O P

O E R D J B K D L G F K G C E

M N J P L A N K T O N W T N R

S E A S T A R

gray whale

climate

plankton

kelp

krill

migration

blue

bioluminescence

seastar

Pacific Ocean

currents

tidepool

anemone

barnacle

shark

baleen

epipelagic

octopus

plastic

coral

fluke

albatross

crab

oxygen

What Will I Be 

When I Grow Up?

Draw a line between the adult 

animals and the baby animals

Toby Hudson http://simple.wikipedia.org

Morgan Bond, NOAA, http://nmfs.noaa.gov

Chad King, NOAA, http://sanctuarysimon.orgv

Saspotato, www.fickr.comv

Steve Lonhart, NOAA, http://sanctuarysimon.org

BlueRidgeKitties, www.fickr.com

The Seymour Salmonid Society, http://seymoursalmon.com/lifecyc el p. hp

Korea-U.S. Aquaculture, http://lib.noaa.gov

Kath el en Bennett, University of Oregon, http://oceanexplorer.noaa g. ov

Thurston Lacali, University of Saskatchewan Archives, http://www8.nos n. oaa g. ov

Matt Wilson/Jay Clark, NOAA, http://www.photolib.noaa.gov https://pearsoncollegemarinescience.fles.wordpress.com

Ocean Word Search

1. Abalone

6. Sea Urchin

5. Sea Cucumber

4. Pacific Giant Octopus

3. Dungeness Crab

2. Coho Salmon

A

F

E

D

C

B

If an average krill weighs 2 grams, how 

many krill can a blue whale eat in a day? 

(Hint: there are about 450 grams to 1 pound).

What reptile swims about 6,000 miles in 

one year?

What whale species migrates past the 

Point Reyes Lighthouse and gives birth to 

their calves in the warm lagoons of 

Baja California?

Name an endangered animal that humans 

kill just for their fins.

Name an animal living in the mid-tide zone.

Name an animal living in the Bathypelagic 

zone, down to 13,000 feet.

Where does most of our rain come from?

What is the world’s largest seaweed?

Did you walk the stairs at the Point 

Reyes Lighthouse? How many steps 

are there? 

Lighthouse Stamp

Kid’s Activities

Get Stamped! 

Go to a visitor center, answer five of the questions above, , and get a stamp for each correct answer.