RCDSMM biologists hold relevant permits and have been conducting studies of southern steelhead trout (Federally Endangered), tidewater goby (Federally Endangered), and Arroyo chub (CDFG Species of Special Concern) within the Santa Monica Bay since 1995. We are one of the few permit holders allowed to conduct research and monitoring on the endangered steelhead trout and tidewater goby in the Santa Monica Bay. We currently deploy the only instream antenna array to monitor migration of southern steelhead trout in southern California.

Services provided include instream habitat mapping according to CDFG protocols, snorkel surveys, spring spawning and redd surveys, seine and trapping monitoring, instream antenna array monitoring and maintenance, scale reading for age/size analysis, tagging using Passive Integrated Transponders (PIT), fin clip collection for DNA analysis, grunion run monitoring

RCDSMM helped establish the protocol for monitoring amphibians and reptiles in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in 2000. Since then, our biologists and Stream Team members have conducted annual amphibian surveys in Topanga Creek, monitoring trends in population abundance and diversity. We participate in annual surveys for the California newt and native amphibians within Topanga Creek as part of a regional study within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Since 2002, RCDSMM staff and Topanga Stream Team members have collected data on southwestern pond turtles in the Topanga Creek Watershed. The goals of the project include answering questions about turtle presence, location, population structure, recruitment, nesting sites, movement patterns, survival ratio, and preferred habitat.  We currently hold permits to capture, tag and radio track southwestern pond turtles throughout the Santa Monica Mountains.

The RCDSMM, in partnership with the National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey, has recently conducted visual and trapping surveys for the southwestern pond turtle (CDFG Species of Special Concern) at strategic locations throughout the Santa Monica Mountains.

RCDSMM’s Stream Team has monitored water quality in Topanga Creek to varying degrees since 1999, and beginning in the spring of 2016 we have been working with partners throughout the Los Angeles River watershed to monitor summer water temperatures in the LA River. We also collect water quality data as part of biological monitoring studies for fishes, amphibians and macro-invertebrates. The RCDSMM recently monitored both Topanga and Zuma Lagoons as part of the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP) Eutrophication Study of the Southern California Bight.

Services provided include site selection and watershed level stream order analysis, in-situ data collection (air and water temperature, pH, conductivity, Dissolved oxygen, salinity, algae, etc.), nutrient analysis (collect samples for lab analysis or in-house analysis using LaMotte Colorimeter 2), bacteria sample collection (fecal coliform, total coliform, E. coli, Enterococcus, DNA samples) for virus and bacteriodes, heavy metals sample collection, isotope sample collection, in-situ YSI 6600 Data Sondes management and maintenance, instream temperature monitors (HOBO Tidbits) management and maintenance, smaller coastal stream flow measurements and calculations