The Bay Foundation

06/16/2026

Get to know Santa Monica Bay beaches’ most devoted dad! 🪺

Western Snowy Plovers are a federally threatened species that nest on sandy beaches along the Pacific coastline from March through September. They build shallow camouflaged nests in the sand and usually lay three eggs. When chicks hatch, the female often leaves to start a new nest with another mate, while the male stays to care for them.🐣

Chicks are about the size of a thumb at hatch and can walk and run within hours. They feed on their own but still rely on dad’s protection. In about one month’s time, they’re ready to fledge. With father’s day around the corner, we’re giving local plover protective dad’s a shout out! Join us at the next Santa Monica Beach Dunes restoration event to learn more and view this special species along with other incredible wildlife that call these beach dunes home!🏖️

06/11/2026

Come behind the scenes with our aquarists as they brainstorm and innovate abalone protective outplant devices (PODs). 🐚

These portable and temporary reef “homes” shelter juvenile (young) abalone after they are released into the ocean - giving them a safe place to grow, protected from predators. Once abalone reach the appropriate size in our aquatic lab, we measure and tag each one, place them into PODs, and our marine science divers then deploy and secure them on rocky reef habitat in the ocean.

These PODs act as a critical transition space- helping young abalone safely settle into their new ocean home. 🌊

06/08/2026

Happy World Oceans Day from The Bay Foundation! 🌊

World Oceans Day was designated by the United Nations in 2008 and this year’s theme is “Reimagine: beyond the world we know, a new relationship with our ocean”. TBF’s Ocean Resilience Program is committed to supporting ecosystems’ regeneration and recovery and shaping resilience - from restoring over 80 acres of kelp forests to advancing eelgrass research and restoration, and co-leading the recovery of endangered abalone populations. Our ongoing research and restoration efforts help us understand how to best safeguard these habitats for the current and future generations. Cheers to this blue planet’s incredible oceans and stewarding them for generations to come!

06/04/2026

Join us on June 7 at L.A. Dance Project City of Dance in Tongva Park, Santa Monica! 🌊 After the performance, The Bay Foundation’s CEO, will participate in a panel discussion exploring the connections between ecology, public spaces, our coastline, and more. Learn more and RSVP at the link below! ✨

https://ladanceproject.org/events/ladp-performs-city-of-dance-tongva-park-santa-monica/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSOz2ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFlaTkyMENJMVpaN21OdFhzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHg0-Wexk53_JfCX6RNdzj3w0pbD2RfgnEO6y7n9QC08fb4tS5oWj8xc5ErLZ_aem_YWdncwCDyNpI_4sZblFOP0y11N-B&brid=YWdncwHn8CCDR2arAS3wLQ_M1emn

06/04/2026

💙 We’re spotlighting Esteban Caprio, a passionate volunteer helping us restore Southern California’s kelp forests! The Bay Foundation is a world leader in kelp forest restoration, advancing innovative restoration techniques and partnerships to regenerate underwater forests. 🌿 Esteban recently dove with us, stemming from scientific dive trainings with our collaborator Aquatic Futures Foundation.

🤿 A special shoutout to for empowering and training the next generation of ocean stewards through scientific dive trainings, community events, and more! This work and collaboration is supported by the California State Coastal Conservancy - we teamed up with to recruit, educate, and train certified scientific divers. Stay tuned for more updates!

🌊 Interested in helping safeguard the ocean and have a background in scientific diving? We’re looking for volunteer divers to support the scouting, establishment, and maintenance of restoration sites under our Ocean Resilience initiative.

Dive into the link https://www.santamonicabay.org/what-we-do/projects/volunteer-divers/ to learn more about our diving volunteer opportunities!✨

06/02/2026

Make a difference with us this June 🌊🌱 From restoring coastal habitats, birding with collaborators, and partaking in an environmental education training - we’ve got several opportunities happening this month to get involved in!

🌊 Upcoming June Events 🌊
📅 Saturday, June 6, 2026
• Dockweiler Beach Dunes restoration and nature bird walk with and

📅 Saturday, June 6, 2026
• Dockwalker Training online co-hosted with California’s Boating Clean and Green Program *final training for 2026!*

📅 Saturday, June 27, 2026
• Santa Monica Beach Dunes restoration + meditation led by

Visit the link to learn more and RSVP!✨ https://www.santamonicabay.org/

05/29/2026

Honoring + Celebrating Nick Gabaldón Day on 6/6 🌊💙

Next Saturday, June 6th is the 14th annual Nick Gabaldón Day! Nick Gabaldón was the first documented Black and Mexican-American surfer in the Santa Monica Bay and California. He surfed in the 1940s-50s at a time when the beaches were racially segregated. He left a lasting legacy and continues to inspire generations of surfers! Join Black Surfers Collective next Saturday, June 6, 2026, in honoring the legacy of Nick Gabaldón and uplifting a more inclusive surf community 🌊 This event centers equity, history, and joy in the ocean. TBF is a proud co-supporter of this event, come celebrate Nick Gabaldón Day with , us, and all collaborators .with.the.ocean

📅 Saturday, June 6, 2026

🕘 9 am - 2 pm

📍 The Historic Inkwell, Tower 20, Santa Monica Beach - Santa Monica, California

🏄‍♂️ Surf lessons are full however you can still come out for the fun and/or volunteer!

💙 Interested in volunteering? Visit for registration.

Don’t miss this special day of community, history, and surfing that honors one of California’s pioneering Black surfers! https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/nick-galdabon-day--2026?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnKFVbl5nGgnvRpr36iY_ctNjSGZZFqbSxR8uySPr-JLng9tegAM1Pv-V_ukk_aem_a-QC-xQWt2eYz7hRR26jOw

05/28/2026

Dockwalker trainings are wrapping up! 🌊 Don’t miss your chance to attend a free Dockwalker training on Saturday, June 6, 2026. RSVP here: https://ports-ca.zoom.us/meeting/register/cZ7g7CjtRVauHBDiBW6Mww

Anyone can be a Dockwalker and help inspire and educate boaters to practice safe, clean, and environmentally sound boating throughout California while distributing free California Boater Kits filled with pollution prevention resources! ⛵️

If you care about keeping our waterways pollution free, and you're between the ages of 15 and 100, consider becoming a Dockwalker! Dockwalker Program volunteers help educate boaters about clean boating practices. Since 2000, more than 130,000 boater kits, packed with pollution preventing materials, have been distributed to boaters. The next training (free and virtual!) for Southern California is on Saturday, March 21st. Learn more on their website: https://dbw.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=29199 Photo Credit: California State Parks

05/27/2026

Come out to L.A. Dance Project’s City of Dance at Tongva Park in Santa Monica on 6/7 🌊 Following the performance, TBF’s CEO Tom Ford will be on panel exploring ecology, public spaces, the coastline, and much more! Check out the link for more details and to RSVP: https://ladanceproject.org/events/ladp-performs-city-of-dance-tongva-park-santa-monica/ ✨

05/26/2026

Day in the life of caring for endangered white abalone 🐚
 
Come along with our Ocean Resilience Program Aquarist, Ashlyn, for a look at life inside our lab at the .marine.institute! From cleaning tanks to feeding and ensuring they stay healthy, every task supports the recovery of this endangered species and gets these juvenile white abalones one step closer to their future ocean home.🌊
 
Many of the white abalone at the lab are preparing for outplanting soon, meaning they’ll eventually be released into the ocean where they belong. Follow along as they go from lab to ocean!💙
 

  aquarist