Our "living laboratory" at the Zuma Beach research station. A herd of Inshore Bottlenose Dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, slowly heads east as student researchers record a nice flock of high-flying Brown Pelicans, Pelecanus occidentalis, on a calm, sunny Thursday.

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GoPro baited camera apparatus - wide view. See the next image for a closer view.

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GoPro baited camera apparatus - close view. 12 Northern Anchovies Engraulis mordax were secured to the base of a plastic specimen tub. A 3-point stainless cable bridle and a GoPro camera are also shown. The device was set out in 10m (33ft) depth for 3 hours, and photos were taken automatically every 5 seconds. The images/data will be analyzed after the holidays.

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Walker heads out to the open ocean on a longboard packing the baited camera project for Honors Marine Biology. The camera took pictures every 5 seconds for 3 hours, until it was retrieved by Leah. The results will be analyzed after the holidays and compared to future deployments, as the Honors Marine Biology class delves deeper into the Zuma Beach ecosystem.

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The afternoon low tide exposed countless numbers of the Bean Clam, Donax gouldii, in the low intertidal zone.

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Student researcher in sand wheelchair on load from LA County Malibu Lifeguard HQ.

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A nauplius, probably of a Copepod.

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A very active cyphonautes larva of the Bryozoan Membranipora membranacea. Numerous cilia can be seen around the open edge of this 2-shelled, triangular larva.

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Blake set a new "personal best" record, beating his count for the number of cyphonautes larvae in 2 drops of the plankton sample. Also visible are numerous Coscinodiscus sp. diatoms (the square and round shells), and various types of organic detritus.

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Image 1 of 3: a planktonic medusa ("jellyfish") magnified 100x. A diatom, Rhizosolenia can be seen in the lower right corner. The upper left corner is filled with organic detritus, probably caught in a mucous web from Oikopleura.

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Image 2 of 3: a planktonic medusa ("jellyfish") magnified 100x.

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Image 3 of 3: a planktonic medusa ("jellyfish") magnified 100x.

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Salpa fusiformis, tiny salps (Chordata, Urochordata), washed ashore in moderate numbers (80+) today.

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Masses of gulls (Larus) on the wet sand.

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