FRIDAY Workshops & Tours
KELP FOREST DISCOVERY & ECOLOGY SCUBA DIVE with Reef Check (8am - noon)
Meet at Aquarius Dive Shop for Reef Check hosted local kelp forest discovery and ecology dive. The location of this shore dive will be selected based upon conditions on the day. Each participant must be a certified diver with at least one prior cold water dive, and must complete a liability waiver. Divers who need to rent gear can make arrangements at Aquarius in advance. Following the dive will be a short workshop discussing the species seen.
AQUACULTURE BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR at Moss Landing (tours at 10, 10:30, 11, 11:30am)
This 2-hour tour provides an in-depth look at aquaculture research happening at Moss Landing Marine Lab, including collaborations with Monterey Bay Seaweeds, Monterey Bay Abalone Company and the White Abalone Project. Participants meet at Moss Landing Marine Lab to visit wet lab spaces and learn about aquaculture research projects. You will then move down to the waterfront aquaculture facility to see its infrastructure, from the pumping and filtration systems to the tanks growing a variety of seaweeds and invertebrates. Attendees must be 18 or older. The route includes steps through a working facility not designed for public access.
SEAWEEDS OF THE MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY with Ariel Hunter (noon - 1:30pm ) This introductory workshop will cover the basics of seaweed identification, focusing on species found throughout the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Attendees will leave with confidence in identifying the most common seaweed varieties in our region, a better understanding of seaweed's role in coastal ecosystems, and foraging best practices. This is an introductory course, and is recommended for audiences of casual naturalists and hobby botanists, or those looking to refresh their basics. The presentation includes lots of hands-on exploration of live specimens!
BREAKING THE WALL: ENZYMATIC ISOLATION OF PROTOPLAST FROM GREEN AND BROWN SEAWEEDS with José Avila Peltroche (1-3pm)
This workshop provides hands-on experience in isolating protoplasts (i.e., cells without cell walls) from both green and brown marine macroalgae. Participants will use enzymatic isolation techniques: cellulase and macerozyme for green seaweeds, and cellulase with alginate lyase for brown seaweeds. These protocols follow established methods for Ulvophyceae (Gupta and Reddy 2018; Gupta et al. 2018) and Phaeophyceae, particularly Laminariales and Ectocarpales (Coelho et al. 2012; Avila-Peltroche et al. 2026).
ART OF KELP: ILLUSTRATING CALIFORNIA SEAWEEDS WORKSHOP with Andrea Dingeldein (2-4pm)
Join illustrator, naturalist and educator Andrea Dingeldein ("The Local Naturalist") to learn about illustrating seaweeds in watercolor. In this 2-hour workshop, Andrea will walk you through the process from reference collection to completed illustration. All materials to create one 9in x 12in study will be provided, and participants will receive a copy of Andrea's new Kelps of California field guide.
SEAWEED DEMYSTIFIED WALK AT ASILOMAR STATE BEACH with Monterey Audubon (3:30-5pm)
Come join us at Asilomar State Beach to learn the names and some of the ecology of our local seaweeds! We'll discover the three main types of seaweed - red, brown, and green, and identify species such as feather boa kelp, sea lettuce, Turkish washcloth, and iridescent seaweed. We'll also discuss the two types of kelp forest along Monterey Bay - giant kelp and bull kelp - and the threats to these stunning and indispensable ocean ecosystems from climate change and sea urchin overgrazing. This will be a relatively easy 1.5-mile walk on soft and packed sand, led by Patrick Furtado, volunteer and conservation biologist.
THE FOLLOWING TOURS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE AT MOSS LANDING MARINA. NO CHARGE. FIRST COME-FIRST SERVED. NO TICKET REQUIRED!
SUNFLOWER STAR LAB TOUR (11am - 2pm)
Tour Sunflower Star Lab's full scale conservation aquaculture facility to see how the team is growing juvenile sunflower stars to aid in the recovery of this species, which was devastated by a wasting disease starting in 2013. Learn about the processes of spawning, cryopreservation and fertilization, how algae is grown as an essential first feed for larval sea stars, and how the local extinction of sunflower stars has impacted our coastal ecosystem. Visit here for more info about Sunflower Star lab
WESTERN FLYER TOUR (11am - 2pm)
The sardine boat Western Flyer was chartered by writer John Steinbeck and marine biologist Ed Ricketts in 1940 for an expedition to the Sea of Cortez, and has a long and rich history along the Pacific Coast. Literally raised from the sea bottom near Anacortes, WA, in 2013, the boat was painstakingly restored and now serves as a working research vessel and floating classroom based out of Moss Landing Marina. Visit here for information about Western Flyer Foundation.