Kendall-Frost Mission Bay Marsh Reserve

The Kendall-Frost Mission Bay Marsh Reserve protects a valuable remnant of coastal salt marsh habitats once common throughout Southern California estuaries. Despite major alterations to the surrounding land and water, this small, heart-shaped wetland at the northern edge of Mission Bay remains remarkably productive, providing rich intertidal habitats. Topography ranges from high marsh to submerged shoreline, creating a classic vertical zonation of habitats, each with its own spectrum of vegetation and invertebrates.

Habitats within the site include coastal salt marsh, tidal channels, and salt flats; the adjacent Northern Wildlife Preserve contains mudflats, a sand spit, eelgrass beds, and the open waters of Mission Bay. Thousands of shorebirds visit the marsh and mudflats during annual migrations; at least two endangered bird species, the light-footed clapper rail and Belding’s savannah sparrow, rely entirely on the marsh.

Habitat Restoration

Transplantation of marsh plants including pickleweeds; eradication of invasive mangroves; studies of erosion, sediment, and other factors degrading marsh habitats.

Student Volunteer Program

Students with special needs (learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and hearing impairments) from nearby Mission Bay High School restore and map the marsh, develop public outreach materials, and host events.

Public outreach

Interpretive kiosk depicts bird migrations with captions in English and Spanish; bird-watching events.

Selected Research

• The leptostraca* of coastal California: A survey based on morphological and molecular evidence. [*a marine order of the class malacostraca, which is a subclass of the subphyllum crustacea]
• The effect of different reproductive strategies on the genetic variation of eastern Pacific eelgrass taxa.
• Final hosts (birds and mammals) as determinants of community structure of castrating trematodes in California horn snails.