Habitats
"This is a place of giants, from redwood forests standing tall on land to forests of kelp swaying in the currents offshore."
"Monterey Bay is the hottest hotspot for biodiversity in North America, according to a study by the Nature Conservancy. But that assessment did not include its marine life, which is astonishing in its own right. Land and sea are often looked at separately by researchers and planners but [here] we bring the two together for a unified view of the bay and its natural abundance . . . We know of no other place in the world where land and sea connect in such an extraordinary way." --excerpt from Bay of Life essay Habitats: A Bay of Life
Explore Habitats in Monterey Bay through the lens of Frans Lanting and these themes:
Forest
Woodland
Chaparral
Grassland Coast
Wetland
Between the Tides
Shallow Sea
Open Ocean
Into the Deep
Scroll below to preview photos and focus questions and access resources for the above themes.
Access the Habitats Resource Folder to find Resources and Field Trip Programs linked to the Bay of Life themes below.
The resource folder contains the full Habitats essay, focus questions with photo collections, and K-12 curricular resources for this theme. See below for a sneak peak at theme photos, focus questions.
Life on Land
"Monterey Bay is both a crossroads and an epicenter for many forms of life."
How are different habitats connected?
Life under Water
"No other place along the California coast features such a unique combination of fresh, brackish and saltwater habitats with such a diverse array of life."
How are animals adapted to survive in different ecosystems?
California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI) Partner Portal
Access more resources through Santa Cruz County Office of Education's searchable database of environmental education organizations, programs and resources.