 The thrust of the TBBI is to investigate all life forms in
the bay. Since initiation of field work in 2002, original
field research has studied several major taxonomic groups.
Invertebrates
Ted Grosholz from Bodega Marine Lab
organized a rapid biodiversity assessment on Tomales Bay during
August 2003. Distinguished invertebrate taxonomists including
Leslie Harris (Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County),
John Chapman (Oregon State Univ.), Wayne Fields (Hydrozoology),
Don Cadien (Marine Biology Lab), and Vania Coelho (Dominican
University), and a several graduate students spent 5 days
collecting and identifying invertebrates from varied habitats
around the bay. The results are included in the TBBI database.
In 2004, Domincan University of California (Vania Coelho,
Diara Spain, and two students) implemented intensive sampling
of 32 stations throughout the Bay, with taxonomy led by Leslie
Harris and Don Cadien.
Birds
 Dr. John Kelly of Cypress Grove Preserve (Audubon Canyon Ranch)
has been studying and documenting the birds of Tomales Bay
for over a decade and has contributed his exceptional dataset
to the TBBI database. His report indicated that 163 bird species
have been documented in the Bay, with 122 regularly occurring
species and 41 species that are known from less than five
sightings.
Algae
 Sonoma
State University (SSU) professor Chris Kjeldsen and his aquatic
botany students spent several days during the spring of 2003
and 2004 collecting algae from the rocky intertidal areas
of Tomales Bay. The project was followed up in the summers
of 2004 and 2005 by an intensive collection and identification
project by two SSU students (Kelly Kneece and Chris Tougeron).
Two other students of Prof. Kjeldsen (James Phillips and Tiffany
Franklin) completed an algae inventory of Hog Island during
2003. Additionally, SSU graduate student Lawrence Glacy has
established 7 long-term algae monitoring plots along the axis
of the bay to monitor species diversity, spread of invasives,
and interactions between habitat and species growth rates.
Fish
San Francisco State University professor Dr. Mike McGowan
performed sampling of fishes in 2002 and 2005 and graduate
student Jim Pettigrew cataloged the nearshore fishes during
the summer of 2003. Jim’s report is available here.
Mike focused on all species in the bay while Jim is focused
on nearshore species with the aid of high school students
and volunteers.
Diatoms and Phytoplankton
 In 2003, Mary Ann Tiffany of San Diego
State University collected samples from the open waters of
the Bay and identified 81 species of phytoplankton. During
2003 and 2004 Eileen Hemphill-Haley (EHH Consulting) collected
diatom samples from 24 stations at the southern end of the
Bay and identified over 140 species, including some which
upon further taxonomic review may prove to be species previously
undescribed by science. In 2005, she plans a similar study
focused on the Walker Creek delta. Additionally, research
during 2002-2005 by Linda Righetti Judah of Bodega Marine
Lab has documented 181 species of diatoms and other phytoplankton.
Ascidians
 Dr. Ted Grosholz and Dr. Jay Stachowicz of Bodega Marine Lab
held an Ascidian ("sea squirt") inventory and taxonomic
workshop on Tomales and Bodega Bays in May, 2003. International
experts Dr. Charlie Lambert and Dr. Gretchen Lambert came
to help with collection, taxonomy and to teach a group of
15 graduate students and faculty the intricacies of ascidian
biology, ecology and taxonomy. The workshop discovered a clonal
invasive ascidian new to Tomales Bay that has harmed commercial
oyster production in other estuaries. The discovery of this
new threat will lead to more informed management and increased
awareness of detrimental invasive species. Ted also coordinated
an intertidal invertebrate inventory in September of 2003.
Lichens
 In April of 2003, the California Lichen
Society took part in a rapid assessment of lichens in the
spray zone of the Tomales Bay shore. Participants investigated
the rocky beaches, cliffs and large driftwood of White Gulch
and Avalis Beach. Their objective was to sample species of
lichen living in areas with direct salt-water influence. Over
40 species were documented.
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