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turn right on Fourth Street. Follow Fourth Street until you get to
Ash Avenue, and then park. On your right should be the overlook
for Carpinteria Salt Marsh. |
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turn right on Fourth Street. Follow Fourth Street until you get to
Ash Avenue, and then park. On your right should be the overlook
for Carpinteria Salt Marsh. Location: 20 miles east of UCSB campus
Latitude: 34° 24' 00" N
Longitude:119° 31' 30" W
Elevation: -3 to +10 feet
Scientists have been digging up asphalt that had fossils embeded in them. The tar pits contained fossils of large mammals now extinct, including the dire wolf and giant cat.
Coastal oak forests had replaced a Monterrey pine forest that covered the valley more than 40,000 years ago before the first settlers even came to Carpinteria.
Invertebrates: Yellow shore crabs, California horn snails, and lined shore crabs. Mussel and oyster beds appear ofted at the mouth of the salt marsh. There are also three species of clams; little neck clams, bentnose clams, and California jackknife clams.
Fish: Arrow gobies, California killifish, topsmelt, sharks, and stingrays
Birds: Black crown night herons, great blue herons, great egrets, willets, dowitchers, western sandpipers, and ducks
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