The Bay Foundation

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The Bay Foundation

Since 1990, TBF has brought people together to implement environmental science to improve the health and quality of Santa Monica Bay and its watershed.

Our staff is passionate about the health of the Santa Monica Bay, bringing to their work considerable global experience in water quality, wetlands, marine life, and a whole range of other ecosystems…always directed by a rigorous commitment to science and research, and working with a wide range of partners in the process. Find out more – www.santamonicabay.org – and get involved!

09/01/2026

Connect with us this September ☀️

From restoring beach dunes to celebrating the coast and clean boating, September has several happenings to take part in 💙

🌊 Upcoming September Events 🌊

📅 Saturday, September 12, 2026
• Join us and Santa Monica Mountains Fund for a morning at the Santa Monica Beach Dunes - learn how native plants build dune ecosystems over local crafted tea, then help spread native seeds

📅 Saturday, September 12, 2026
•Help maintain the Manhattan Beach Dunes with us!

📅 Thursday, September 17, 2026
•You’re invited to our annual fundraiser, Coastal Connections, taking place at the Annenberg Community Beach House, just feet away from our pilot Santa Monica Beach Dunes site

📅 Saturday, September 19, 2026
•Restore Santa Monica Beach Dunes + attend an meditation led by Santa Monica Yoga

📅 Saturday, October 3, 2026
•Come out to our first-of-its-kind Blue Waters: Santa Monica Bay Boating Festival in Marina del Rey - a free community event day in celebrating Santa Monica Bay and clean boating stewardship⛵️

Visit the link below to learn more and RSVP. We hope to see you this month! https://www.santamonicabay.org/events/

08/28/2026

Explore our recent red abalone outplanting session! Outplanting = releasing young abalone into their natural habitats to help restore and increase their populations in the wild 🌊

This summer, in partnership with the NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, Paua Marine Research Group, LLC, and Cultured Abalone, we released 5,000 juvenile red abalone into the ocean.

Raised through aquaculture using wild genetics, these little abalone are now in the ocean as part of ongoing efforts to help rebuild healthy wild populations. 🌊🐚💙

08/25/2026

Spotlight on the El Segundo blue butterfly: 50 years since it was listed as endangered-

This tiny butterfly was federally listed as endangered in 1976 after coastal development caused its population to decline. Today, restoration efforts have helped populations rebound in several locations, including Manhattan Beach! ☀️

The El Segundo blue butterfly spends nearly its entire life connected to one plant: sea cliff buckwheat (Eriogonum parvifolium). Adults nectar on its flowers, females lay their eggs on it, caterpillars feed on it, and pupae overwinter beneath it. Few North American butterflies are so closely tied to a single plant! 🌿

This summer marks 50 years since the El Segundo blue butterfly was federally listed as endangered. For TBF’s Coastal Adaptation team, it was especially encouraging to see more butterflies at our Manhattan Beach Dunes this year, along with signs of the next generation on the sea cliff buckwheat. This all points to a hopeful sign for the species’ continued recovery. 💙

📷 Photos by Laura Doss-Hertz

08/18/2026

🌊 Swipe through some of our recent field moments from the past few months! 📸

From monitoring eelgrass and restoring beach dunes to releasing abalone into the ocean, our team is hands-on implementing innovative nature-based solutions that enhance ecosystems, boost coastal resilience, and benefit communities. 🌎✨

08/13/2026

🌿 Celebrating 13 Years of Kelp Forest Restoration!
For the past 13 years, The Bay Foundation and its partners have been restoring Southern California’s iconic underwater kelp forests, regenerating over 80 acres of kelp forest and by way of this, supporting the over 700 marine species that find food and habitat in these ecosystems.

What happens without a healthy kelp ecosystem? Purple sea urchins can take over, overgraze, transform vibrant kelp forests into lifeless landscapes or “urchin barrens”. The urchins remaining in these areas struggle to find food, leading to malnourished populations.TBF’s kelp forest restoration initiative is dedicated to restoring these barren landscapes into diverse, resilient kelp forest ecosystems by reducing urchin density.🌿

🤿 Watch the transformation- from urchin barrens, to restoration in action -> resulting in thriving kelp forests full of life.

By restoring kelp forests, these ecosystems regain their biodiversity and productivity, establish the foundation for the marine intertidal food web, and provide the coasts with benefits such as protection from erosion, water filtration, and carbon sequestration, along with many other ecosystem services!

Thank you to our staff, partners, volunteers, and supporters for making 13 years of kelp restoration possible! 🌿💙

08/11/2026

🌊 Coastal Connections, TBF’s fundraiser, is coming up!

Please join us for an evening celebrating the people, partnerships, and projects restoring our coast. Enjoy cocktails, dinner, and an inspiring evening honoring leaders making a lasting difference for our ocean and communities.

✨ Meet the Honorees:
California State Senator Ben Allen Ben Allen

Los Angeles County Board Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath Lindsey P Horvath

Black Surfers Collective President Greg Rachal & Executive Director Marie Rachal

Your ticket supports The Bay Foundation’s work to restore habitats, strengthen coastal resilience, and create healthier coastlines for wildlife and communities.

📅 September 17, 2026 | 6–9 PM
📍 Annenberg Community Beach House, Santa Monica, California

Learn more and get your tickets using the link: https://givebutter.com/coastal-connections-2026

08/06/2026

If you build it, they will come! Just months after dune restoration began on Santa Monica Beach in 2016, federally threatened western snowy plovers were spotted resting in the new habitat. Then, in April 2017, something amazing happened - a western snowy plover nest was discovered in the restoration area, marking the first documented nest in the Los Angeles region in nearly 70 years!🐣

This is a vital reminder that restoration work and growing beach dunes not only strengthens coastal resilience but also revitalizes biodiversity. By growing native dunes and protecting nesting areas, we’re helping create safer spaces for wildlife to thrive. 💙

Today, western snowy plovers are still carefully monitored and protected as they move through these coastal habitats. Join us at an upcoming restoration event and see how growing dunes can make a real difference for wildlife and the coast. 🌊

🔗 Want to learn more about the Santa Monica Beach Dunes? Check out the LAist article quoted here and linked below✨ Discover the incredible impact dune restoration is having on wildlife, coastal resilience against sea-level rise, and more!
https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/santa-monica-dunes-combat-rising-sea-levels

08/05/2026

The Bay Foundation is dedicated to implementing nature-based solutions along Southern California’s coast to adapt to climate change, enhance ecosystems, and benefit communities. Since 1990, our team of scientific and communications experts has been driving forward research, restoration, and stewardship. 🌊🌿

In 2025, we made substantial strides and expanded our initiatives in ocean resilience, coastal adaptation, and environmental engagement. The accomplishments in our 2025 annual report demonstrate what your support enables us to achieve. Read the report to discover our impact:https://cms.santamonicabay.org/wp-content/uploads/2025-Annual-Report_The-Bay-Foundation.pdf

08/04/2026

Learn, volunteer, and make an impact this August! ☀️

From restoring native dunes to exploring solutions to plastic pollution, August is packed with opportunities to connect, learn, and take action with us. 💙

🌊 Upcoming August Events 🌊

📅 Saturday, August 8, 2026
Manhattan Beach Dunes connect, sketch, and restore with us, Nature Nexus Institute, and Los Angeles Audubon

📅 Saturday, August 8, 2026
The Plastic Detox free community film screening & panel, learn about plastic pollution and ways we can create a healthier future together co-hosted by TBF and Heal the Bay Californians Against Waste Cabrillo Marine Aquarium CALPIRG The Story of Stuff Project Reusable LA

📅 Saturday, August 22, 2026
Dockweiler Beach Dunes Restoration + Nature Bird Walk

📅 Saturday, August 29, 2026
Santa Monica Beach Dunes Restoration + Meditation led by Santa Monica Yoga

Visit the link: https://www.santamonicabay.org/events/ to learn more and RSVP. We hope to see you soon!!

07/30/2026

🤿 Just another day in the field 🌊

Take a look at a recent dive with us! TBF carries out scientific dives routinely to implement and monitor core initiatives - from kelp forest and eelgrass restoration to endangered abalone recovery.💙

Every dive brings us one step closer toward helping restore Santa Monica Bay and SoCal’s marine ecosystems 🌊

Address

8117 W Manchester Avenue #750
Playa Del Rey, CA
90293

Website

http://www.santamonicabay.org/

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