Contribute to community science this December by searching for sea stars in San Diego! The California Academy of Sciences is on the hunt for sea stars along the California coast from San Diego to Del Norte County, and they need your help! They are especially keeping an eye out for sunflower stars and giant pink sea stars but want to document as many star species as possible. Please note, you should never remove animals, rocks, shells, seaweeds, or plants from the tidepools.
More people looking for sea stars means more chances to find and learn about them. We’re hopeful that by working together to search for these important creatures, we can gain insights and help bring their populations back over time. Plus, low tides during the solstice make for some great tide pooling!
Download the iNaturalist App: Available on iOS and Android.
Create an Account: Start making observations right away.
Join the Project: Join the iNaturalist Project to track your observations.
Visit the Coast: Head out on your own or join an event to observe and document sea stars and other marine life during the whole month of December.
Observe During Low Tide: Use Cal Academy’s TideFinder to locate low tides in your area.
Share Your Experience: Use the hashtag #SolsticeSeaStarSearch on social media.
Let Us Know What You Found: If you make 5 observations on the iNaturalist project, email opoulos@sdnhm.org to receive a Solstice Sea Star Search Trading Cart Set and stickers to commemorate your participation.