Grunion.Org

We are a group of scientists, community members, environmental organizations, surfers, and beach workers dedicated to a better understanding of the habits and habitats of beach-spawning grunion, Leuresthes tenuis.

We have completed a short documentary, "Surf, Sand, and Silversides: the California Grunion." Here are the trailers.

Total running time of the documentary is 25 minutes. It has been the official selection for several film festivals, including the San Francisco Ocean Film Festival, the Newport Beach Film Festival, SoCal Film Festival, and the Toronto Beaches Film Festival. Awards include sound editing, International Wildlife Film Festival, and award of excellence for script from the Best Shorts Competition, and best short documentary from the Los Angeles City Cinema Festival.

National Geographic has just posted a video about the grunion using some of our footage.  See it here.

Announcements

• GRUNION SEASON 2012! The grunion are running!
• 2012 Season Grunion Greeters - We will not be holding training workshops this year. HOWEVER we welcome your reports on this site.  Click the link "REPORT OBSERVATIONS" to download a PDF of the data form.  Follow the instructions to submit your report online at the same link after the run.
• Beach Ecology Coalition spring meeting - The Eleventh Annual Spring Symposium of the Beach Ecology Coalition will be held at Crystal Cove State Beach in Laguna Beach on May 9, 2012.  This group is composed of beach managers, lifeguards, park rangers, environmentalists, and coastal scientists. (more information)
• NO TAKE is permitted during April and May - The National Marine Fisheries Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, our kindly funding agencies, define TAKE as: "to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct."
• We encourage "observe and conserve" or "catch and release."
• If you observe any violations of grunion fishing regulations, such as use of gear or nets, please advise the California Department of Fish and Game at this link,
  http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/protection.asp
  or call their hotline, 1-888-DFG-CALTIP(1-888-334-2258).

   

  

  Shiny Grunion, photo by Dan Harding (click to enlarge)

2010 Updates (last season)

In 2010, for the ninth year, over 550 adventurous citizen scientists observed the California Grunion's intimate activities on beautiful sandy beaches during the most ideal time for viewing.  Observations are reported via a web-based questionnaire and used for beach management and scientific research.

• Mid-June Update, 2010 Grunion Runs
• Early-June Update, 2010 Grunion Runs
• Mid-May Update, 2010 Grunion Runs
• Late-April Update, 2010 Grunion Runs
• Mid-April Update, 2010 Grunion Runs

New interpretive sign at Malibu Lagoon State Beach,
funded by the City of Malibu and installed in February

News and Stories

• "Keep Up With the Grunion Run"
  By Ellen Alperstein, from LA Observed, August 15, 2011.
• "Seriously, how to [sic] you grab a grunion? No really..."
  Farther Off the Wall, by Tom Hoffarth, from dailynews.com, August 7, 2011.
• "In search of a fantabulous night to make a grunion run, because our bucket isn't even half empty"
  Farther Off the Wall, by Tom Hoffarth, from dailynews.com, August 6, 2011.
• "Grunion Run" (Once you arrive at the magazine go to page 163 using the search box at the bottom of the page.)
  By Cameron Walker, from Alaska Airlines Magazine, March 2011
• "Get ready for grunion"
  By Joseph Serna, from Daily Pilot, August 19, 2010
• "Grunion put on a show in Southern California"
  By Nancy Wride, from The Dallas Morning News, July 18, 2010
• "Grunion mating run tonight"
  By Pat Brennan, from The Orange County Register, June 28, 2010
• "The Legendary Grunion of Cabrillo Beach"
  By Karen Martin, from Cabrillo Marine Aquarium's Tidelines, Spring 2010
• "From here to eternity, the grunion put on their own show"
  By Chris Erskine, from the LA Times, June 15, 2010
• thankyouocean.org sponsors photography contest
• "Running with the Grunion"
  By Teisha Rowland, from the Santa Barbara Independent, April 9, 2010
• "Volunteers needed to observe grunion runs"
  By Adriane Tillman, from the SD News, April 8, 2010

• "Trying to Capture Grunion Runs By Thermal Camera"
  From CoastalCOMS, March 4, 2010

• "Grunion runs coming to the sand"
  By Laylan Connelly, from the Orange County Register, March 28, 2010
• "The funny little fish can be seen spawning on the sand"
  By Laylan Connelly, from the Orange County Register, March 29, 2010  

Watercolor by Grunion Greeter
Don Longacre

More Stories

"Group Greets Grunion"
By Will Parson, La Jolla Light, 2009

"Amphibians Mate Under a Full Moon"
By Matt Walker, earth news, BBC, July 13, 2009

"Record Grunion Run Seen On O.C. Beaches"
By Pat Brennan, green living, environment editor, OCRegister

"On the Grunion Hunt"
By Chris Epting, from Huntington Beach Independent, June 10, 2009

"When the Grunion Run, Citizen Scientists Keep One Step Ahead"
By Laura Hoberecht, NOAA Fisheries Public Affairs

"Nighttime the Right Time to Watch the Grunion Run"
By Mike Lee, from SignOnSanDiego.com by the Union-Tribune, April 23, 2009

"Sea Life Centre - Loch Lomond Announces Top 10 Flirty Fish"
Grunion named number 2 among flirtatious fish, 2009 Zoo and Aquarium Visitor

"Grunion Run Season Opens" by Laylan Connelly, from the Orange County Register

"Grunion Fish Wiggle Ashore to Landlubbers' Delight," By Alysia Gray Painter, from NBC Los Angeles

"Making a Grunion Run for Science," by Louis Sahagun, Los Angeles Times online

VIDEO: Emily Explains the Grunion

We welcome the National Marine Fishery Service-SWR, Habitat Conservation Division, and thank them for major funding of this citizen-scientist monitoring effort. We thank our continuing partners!