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A vivid photograph of Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico. Credit to Go Fish Punta Mita. In this article, we shall be discussing the Documented History of Sayulita. Sayulita is a small resort town on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. It is located in the Nayarit state, & is just north of Banderas Bay. Their beaches are extremely popular amongst surfers, & have been popular for a long time. Additionally, the coastline is popular amongst snorkelers & scuba divers alike. Its proximity to Puerto Vallarta also helps with domestic tourism. The nightlife is extremely active, which is a very attractive feature. Well known for its food, never ending parties, & wildlife, the city truly has something to offer to almost everyone. However, with all of these intriguing things to do, many often forget about the magnificent wildlife of Sayulita. Sayulita has many, many different creatures, from whales, to geckos, to land crabs. The landscape is vast, & unequivocally biodiverse. Approximately 300 bird species are found in the city, both near the coast & the mountains. However, this is not these are not the only things Sayulita has to offer, as the area has a rich & beautiful history. Sayulita’s name comes from an Aztec word, Sayolin, which means “The Place of the Flies”. The city was named by Nahuatl resident Don Lauro González Guerra. A few sources claim that he named it after Sayula, Jalisco, Mexico, however this is not confirmed. For the majority of its history, Sayulita has been isolated from the rest of Mexico, & has developed largely on its own. The indigenous aboriginals that inhabited the area prior the Spaniards sailing in, are the Huichol. They still inhabit the area, & are extremely active. These indigenous aboriginals, are descended directly from the Aztecs. In this article, we shall discuss the documented history of Sayulita, the indigenous aboriginals of Sayulita, the most destructive man-caused & natural disasters to affect Sayulita, & the economic state of Sayulita. With that being said, let us delve into the rich, tropical, & intriguing history of Sayulita, Mexico. The Documented History Of Sayulita Before Colonization Prior to Colonization, Sayulita was inhabited by the Aztecs, & later the Huichol. These people would fish, & generally use the coastline as a source of economic development. After Colonization By The Spaniards Historical Events From The 1500’s To The 1800’s The first Spanish Explorer sailed in, in the year 1524. This explorer went by the name of Francisco Cortés de San Buenaventura. Upon sailing in, it was discovered by him & his men that Sayulita had a lot of economic potential, as the coconut palms in the region provide a rich palm oil. The men quickly began working to extract the oil, & shipping it out. For the next few centuries, this is largely what sustained the economy. After Mexico’s Independence Historical Events From The 1900’s During the turn of the century, Sayulita had a mere 6 to 10 houses, with 6 to 10 families. In 1936, the cities future seemed dire, so much so that a Mexican resident Don Santiago gave the families in the area plots of land, to prevent the city from falling apart. During this time, Palm Oil was still the main source of revenue for the city, however this began to slowly change. Slowly, people came in from all around, as they began to recognize the cities beauty, & fishing began to become more popular. In the 1940’s, agriculture & fishing began to appear, & slowly grew as an industry in the city. As early as the 1960’s, American, British, Australian, Mexican, & Brazilian surfers would visit the city to surf. This prompted the construction of the Las Varas-Vallarta highway, which opened the city to even more tourism. As these surfers began to spread the knowledge of the city, more began to trickle in. By the 1990’s, Sayulita’s main economic source shifted to tourism, & surfers found the area increasingly attractive. The Indigenous Aboriginals Of Sayulita The Huichol Indigenous Aboriginals Of Sayulita The Huichol Indigenous Aboriginals are a small group of Native Mexicans found in the state of Nayarit. They refer to themselves as Wixàritari.They primarily inhabit the Sierra Madre Mountains. They are considered to be the last tribe in North America to still practice Pre-Columbian traditions. As of 2026, there are approximately 35,000 living Huichols. They traditionally speak the Wixárika Niukiyari language, which belongs to the Uto-Aztecan Language Family. The modern diet of the average Huichol individual primarily consists of cheese, milk, rice, pasta, beans, corn tortillas, peppers, & various vegetables. As for livestock, many keep cattle, chickens, pigs, & goats. It is not clear whether or not they practice agriculture. The Huichol people are directly descended from the Aztecs. Marriage in their culture is often arranged between 2 families, for individuals between 14 & 17 years of age. Once married, the couple will traditionally live in a stone house with thatched roofs. These houses are constructed with the family in mind, & have a communal kitchen. Oftentimes, these houses will be on a ranch, & have family shrines known as Xiriki. The family model is built around extended family, instead of a smaller nuclear family. Districts of related ranchos are known as a temple district. These temple districts comprise a larger district, which are governed by a council of shamans known as Kawiterutsixi. Possibly the most popular things the Huichol are known for, are their beadwork, yarn paintings, & embroidery. The Huichol people make many artistic pieces, often with religious or naturalistic influences. These pieces are important to their culture, & to their shamanistic traditions. As they have lived in the mountains for hundreds of years, they find the mountains to be sacred. In their belief system, the mountains are home to mystical beings. Their religion & world view is deeply tied to nature, & the land they live on. Traditionally, the belief is that 2 governing gods rule the world, those being Tayuapá the sun god, & Nacawé the rain goddess. In their creation myth, Tayuapá created humans with his own saliva, & dropped them in the ocean waves. Afterward, he flew across the ocean in a bird form, & dropped a large cross in the ocean. He climbed this cross from the ocean floor, & killed all the darkness of the world, leaving light alone. The Most Destructive Man Caused & Natural Disasters To Affect Sayulita Disaster No. 1: Hurricane Rosalyn Hurricane Rosalyn was a category 4 hurricane in the Pacific Ocean, lasting from October 20th, 2022, to October 24th, 2022. It was the tenth hurricane in the 2022 Pacific Hurricane Season. It effected the Pacific coast of Mexico, & caused approximately 56.7 million U.S.D in damages. As of 2026, there are 4 recognized direct fatalities as a result of the storm. The Economic State Of Sayulita The economic state of Sayulita is relatively stable. The primary industry of Sayulita is tourism, which greatly benefits the locals. With the economic boom caused by tourists, many businesses have been able to grow & expand in ways that were previously not possible. As of 2026, the average cost of living for a local is 1,266 U.S.D per month. A photograph of a beach crowded with vibrant umbrellas along Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico. Credit to Randy Kostichka. Directories / Credits Citation No. 1: “History; Culture; & Tourism | Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published By Villa Los Corales. Retrieval Date: March 27th, 2024. https://villaloscorales.com/sayulita-nayarit-history-culture-and-tourism/ Citation No. 2: “Sayulita’s Past & Present”, Written by Maria Zache, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Sayulita Life. Retrieval Date: March 27th, 2024. https://www.sayulitalife.com/sayulita-past-present Citation No. 3: “Sayulita, Mexico: Where Magic Meets History” Written by Jessica VanNess, & Published on August 19th, 2023. Published by Process Ceramics. Retrieval Date: March 28, 2024. https://www.processceramics.com/unearthing-the-journey/sayulita-mexico-where-magic-meets-history?format=amp Citation No. 4: “Sayulita, Nayarit” Written by María Fernanda Romero Villavicencio, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Timeline. Retrieval Date: March 28, 2024. https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/sayulita Citation No. 5: “The Huichol of the Sierra Madre” Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published By the Dance Of The Deer Foundation. Retrieval Date: March 28, 2024. https://www.shamanism.com/huichol Citation No. 6: “Huichol Culture, Art, & Religious Traditions” Written By Unknown, & Published on May 25th, 2021. Published by Garza Blanca Resorts. Retrieval Date: March 28, 2024. https://www.garzablancaresort.com/blog/puerto-vallarta/huichol-culture/ Citation No. 7: “Hurricane Rosalyn” Written By Robbie Berg, & Published on February 15th, 2023. Published by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. Retrieval Date: March 28, 2024. https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/EP192022_Roslyn.pdf Citation No. 8: “Cost Of Living In Sayulita” Written By Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Nomad. Retrieval Date: March 28, 2024. https://nomadlist.com/cost-of-living/in/sayulita Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Marine Enthusiasts Podcast Cash Daniels Tides of Tomorrow The Open Book, Topanga Pitfire Artisan Pizza Olivenbaum Music Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

This month’s article series will be about… The island of Saint Lucia! It is its own country. From its closest point to the mainland it is 186.04 Nautical/Marine miles (214.091009 miles or 344.54608 kilometers) from mainland Venezuela. It is also 1314.27 Nautical/Marine miles (1512.434905 miles or 2434.02804 kilometers) from mainland Florida. It exists in the Caribbean & is one of the safest Caribbean islands to visit. It has a beautiful bustling ecosystem that is full of colour & many different strange species. Since it is in a tropical area & also it has many oceanic nutrients, it is incredibly appealing to many species for all sorts of purposes. This makes it incredibly biodiverse. One of the interesting species that are found here, is the slender sea horse. It is not found here for part of the year due to migration cycles, it does not live around Saint Lucia year-round. Some people even say that there is a sea horse mania due to the high concentration of them. In this article, we will discuss the life of the slender seahorse, the mating procedures, tactics, practices, & cycles of the slender sea horse, the distribution of the sea horse, & the scientific details of the sea horse. With that being said, let us delve into the slender sea horse of Saint Lucia. The Lives Of The Slender Sea Horse The Slender Sea Horse was discovered in 1933. It is unknown who exactly discovered it as it was described in a scientific report but the author did not clearly take credit for its discovery. Slender Sea Horses are usually a maximum height of 6.9 inches (17.526 centimeters) for both genders. They do not have an age where they reach maturity, but rather a height with that height being at 3.1 inches (7.874 Centimeters). They usually weigh between 7 ounces & 1 pound (0.198447 to 0.453592 kilograms), this does not change by gender. Its average life span is 2.5 years however this may change depending on the environment. Sea horses are incredibly socially smart & do often form emotional bonds & communicate with each other. They are incredibly social & often live in herds when captured, however they often do live in solitude in the wild. They do have some capacity for memory as they often remember humans who have taken care of them & they remember each other. They also form social hierarchies in herds. They also can form a trust for each other & humans. This species has existed for about 13 million years as those are our oldest fossils of them. Their diet usually consists of krill, copepods, plankton, fish larvae, & occasionally shrimp. Small marine crustaceans are also a common part of their diet. They will also consume any types of small edibles that are around them that they can consume. They are not cannibalistic in any capacity whatsoever. They will often eat up to 3000 pieces of food per day. This is not a result of an accelerated metabolism. The predators they encounter depend on the areas that they are in, however the most common ones for the Saint Lucia population are crabs, larger fish, sharks, & sting rays. Slender Sea Horses are not very territorial & will not fight over territory. Their territories that they do claim often overlap into each other. These territories are often at a size of 1,100 square feet (102.1933 square meters). They are not often aggressive to each other or to humans if left unprovoked. They are not endangered and are categorized as “Not Threatened” on the IUCN list. Besides mating, they often do not engage with other sea horses. They are often yellow brown, or white in colour. However they can be two-toned. A good way to identify them is that they have small black spots along their bodies that other sea horses do not have. The males have a smooth pouch & the females do not. Its head is horse-like & curves down, they also have a longer snout than other sea horse species. The Mating Procedures, Cycles, Tactics, & Practices Of The Slender Sea Horse Slender sea horses mate via sexual reproduction. They mate underwater via internal fertilization. They do not have a specific age, but rather a size that they reach sexual maturity at. That size is 3 inches long. They are not hermaphroditic. Seahorses are monogamous & will form emotional bonds with each other. They stay together for their entire lives after the initial courtship ritual. They have an interesting courtship ritual, in which the male may change colour & inflate his smooth pouch. This pouch is located at the base of his tail. The female & male will then perform a sort of dramatic dance around each other. In this dance they may flutter their fins, synchronize tail movements, & twirl around each other. It is not clear how long this dance is actually supposed to last, however, can last for up to a few days before they begin to mate. After this dance is performed the female will deposit her eggs into the male’s pouch. The female will use her ovipositor in order to do so. The male will then fertilize the eggs, there are usually about 1,600 eggs that will be deposited. However not all of these eggs will hatch or reach adulthood. These eggs are usually 1.2 millimeters (0.0472441 inches or 0.12 centimeters) in diameter. The eggs will take on average 2 weeks to hatch. However, it may take up to 30 days for the father to birth the juveniles. During this period the male will regulate the salinity level in his abdomen to the outside salinity in order to prepare the babies for the salinity once they are birthed. Once the male is ready to give birth to them, his abdomen will open & expel the juvenile seahorses into the ocean. These children will look almost identical to their parents as soon as they have been released. However, some may not be fully developed & still be curled up & covered in egg membrane. This will most likely not affect them later in life. It is not clear the exact percentage of how many of the eggs are actually fertilized & come out alive. It is also not clear what happens to the unfertilized eggs that don’t come out. After they are birthed, the father & mother will not continue to partake in the babies’ lives & will leave to have another group of children. After this, only 0.5% of the children will survive to adulthood to have their own children. It is not clear how many groups of children they will have per year. They also do not have a specific mating season. It is also not clear at what age they are most fertile. The Distribution Of The Slender Sea Horse Slender sea horses are found all throughout the Caribbean. They seem to prefer warmer waters as they are found in higher concentrations around the Caribbean, Brazil, & Venezuela. However, they are found as far north as Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Another reason for them being in the tropics is that there is more flora to blend in with as their main means of defense is camouflage. They reproduce quickly, so this may be a reason why they are found in very many places. Food is also readily available in the tropics so that may be a contributing factor. They do have a bodily cooling system which gives them a bit of freedom when choosing an environment. They have shown signs of migrating further north so in the future we may have a different idea of what environment they prefer. The image above depicts a map of the distribution of Hippocampus Reidi. The Scientific Detailings Of The Slender Sea Horse The Slender Sea Horse is incredibly interesting for many reasons but the most well-known of them all is that the male gets pregnant & gives birth instead of the female. This is a trait that is only found in sea horses & sea dragons. This is due to an interesting attribute, the male has a pouch that the female releases her eggs into. In turn, the male fertilizes the eggs & once he is ready, an opening in his abdomen appears & through muscle contractions he pushes out the juveniles. This, however, is not the only specialized thing about them. They have specialized structures within their skin cells that are called chromatophores. This allows them to change colour in order to mimic their surroundings. They are able to do this seemingly at will. Sea horses lack teeth, instead having a long snout that they use to vacuum prey into their throats. This is why they can only consume very small edibles. They also lack a stomach & have an incredibly unique digestive tract which is only found in sea horses. The way that they digest is that their snout sucks the food in & it disintegrates as it goes through the snout. Due to this, they have to eat continuously to live or they will die of starvation. A sea horse’s anal fin is also on the front of the sea horse, it is near the torso of the sea horse. The male’s pouch so to speak, is just below the anal fin. The gills of the sea horse are located on the side of their head & are shaped like a circle. It is quite noticeable. Their tail is square in bone structure. Their skeleton is a bone structure of interlocking bones. If you look at a Slender Sea Horse’s entire body you will notice that all of it is built in a very similar way besides the skull. The image above depicts a sea horse skeleton replica. Their bones make them not very appealing to crabs as they cannot be gripped onto by crabs’ claws. Their anatomy makes it incredibly hard for them to swim at a fast pace. Their fins do not help with speed at all, and are mostly used by the sea horse to steer. After a long journey, they can die quickly of exhaustion. They also swim upright, unlike any other fish in the ocean. Occasionally, they will use their tail to wrap around seaweed or other types of flora. They have been captured by humans & are friendly towards humans. Sea horses all evolved from pipefish-like species. This can be seen due in that there is a present genome in them that is found in almost every pipefish species. Their phylum is Chordata meaning that they developed these 5 characteristics. All species under the phylum of Chordata develop 5 similar characteristics either in adulthood or as juveniles. The characteristics that they develop include a notochord, dorsal hollow nerve cord, endostyle or thyroid, pharyngeal Slits, & a post-anal tail. Their class is Actinopterygii, which means that they are ray-finned fish. This also means that their actinopterygian fin rays attach directly to the proximal or basal skeletal elements. Their order is Syngnathiformes. This is an order of ray-skinned fishes that includes trumpetfish & sea horses. A characteristic of being categorized under this order is that their bodies are narrow & surrounded by a series of bony rings. Another characteristic is their long tubular mouths. Their family is Syngathidae. This is a family of sea horses & pipefish. A characteristic of them is their elongated snout. Another characteristic is that they lack pelvic fins. Their genus is Hippocampus. A feature that is found in all of them is their bone structure leaves them in an upright position. Hippocampus is one of the genuses that make up the family of Syngathidae. Directories / References https://www.diveagainstdebris.org/blog/scuba-st-lucia/aug-06-16/seahorse-mania https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/hippocampus-reidi/ https://seahorse.com/topic/how-smart-are-these-creatures/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/facts/seahorses https://www.theseahorsetrust.org/seahorse-facts/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4778478/ ThoughtCohttps://www.thoughtco.com › longs...Facts About the Longsnout or Slender Seahorse https://www.iucn-seahorse.org › iuc...Global IUCN Red List Assessments https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34331361/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/gallery/see-a-male-seahorse-give-birth/ https://www.seacoastsciencecenter.org/2016/06/19/seahorses-super-dads-sea/ https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/seahorse.html https://www.google.com/amp/s/poseidonsweb.com/seahorse-anatomy-differences-way-beyond-cute/amp/ Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors Our Loyal Patrons Ms. Ochoa

A striking black-and-white photograph of Mary Jane Rathbun. This article is part of our Marine Hall of Distinction collection. In this special collection, we discuss the marine biologists who have contributed most to marine biology & oceanography. We do this to commemorate these marine biologists & show gratitude for everything they have contributed to our oceans. Today's marine scientist is Mary Jane Rathbun. Mary Jane Rathbun was the nation’s first female carcinologist, & one of the most esteemed marine scientists of all time. She is well known for her groundbreaking work with crustaceans, & discovery of over 1,166 species. In today’s article, we will delve into her formative years & education, her personal life & career, as well as her achievements, awards, & accomplishments. With that being said, let’s plunge into the captivating world of crustaceans! Her Formative Years & Education Mary J. Rathbun was born on June 11th, 1860 in Buffalo, New York. Her father, Charles Rathbun, was a descendant of a lineage of enterprising stone masons that immigrated from England during the early 1600's. He owned several quarries & was extremely successful as the city of Buffalo built much infrastructure around this time, causing an increased demand for stone. His house, the house Mary J. Rathbun was born & spent her childhood in, was built with this same stone. She attended Buffalo public schools for her primary education, & was said to be gifted in reading, writing, & arithmetic. During her secondary education at a Central School, she focused her studies on English, & spent her 4 years focused on literature, & writing. For her efforts, she was named a Star Scholar each year at the institution, & awarded the Jesse Ketchum Gold Medal, First Class, for excellence in English. She later attributed much of her success to this rigorous study of English during her early years. She graduated in 1878, the same year the phonograph was invented. She did not attend any university, or college to further her education. Her Personal Life & Career Her foray into the field of marine science began in 1881, when she accompanied her brother, Richard Rathbun, to the United States Commission of Fish, in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. At this time, he was employed as a scientific assistant under A. E. Verrill, a professor with the prestigious Yale University. A. E. Verill was working with the invertebrate marine fauna collection that was slowly being accumulated at the United States Commission of Fish. A sophisticated black-and-white photograph of the zoologist Richard Rathbun, her brother. One of his fellow scientific assistants, Professor S. I. Smith, was a scholar on crustacea, & was working on a variety of papers on the subject. Rathbun assisted in labelling, recording, & sorting the crustacean specimens, & realized how fascinating they were. As such, from this point onward, she dedicated her life to the study of crustaceans. She was so devoted to her craft, that from 1881 to 1884, she worked with her brother voluntarily, without payment. For her dedication, she earned a clerkship in 1886, provided by Dr. Spencer Baird, who was the Head of the Smithsonian, & the Commissioner of the United States Commission of Fish. This clerkship saw her transferred to the National Museum's Department of Marine Invertebrates, as a "copyist". In this department, she worked in record-keeping, & organized the new collection of marine invertebrates being given by the Commission. In this position, she worked mostly in isolation, as the budget at the time could not make allowances for extra invertebrate personnel. Although her brother was the formal curator, she was responsible for the care of collections, record-keeping, reports, & catalog-entries. After 28 years of working with the museum, she was formally promoted to Assistant Curator. Many of the systems she implemented in this role are still used to this day. Mary Jane Rathbun formally retired in 1914. Unfortunately, she passed away on April 13th, 1943, at the age of 83. Her contributions to marine science were monumental, & her work will not be forgotten. In the words of Waldo L. Schmitt; "She was a remarkably gifted person. A small, neat woman, no more than four & a half feet in height, with plain, strong features, in conversation a most interesting & engaging personality, with a dry sense of humour, unobtrusively well endowed with the familial traits that had brought success to the men of her family — innate ability, originality of thought, initiative, & enterprise, assured the success she herself achieved within the field of carcinology." He is also quoted as remarking, "Words alone do not suffice express adequately my high regard for Miss Rathbun and her works, published or otherwise, my gratitude for all that she did for me, & my respect for her as a woman & a scientist." Her Achievements, Awards, & Accomplishments She published approximately 166 papers or publications across her career. She discovered approximately 1,147 species across her career, along with a superfamily, 3 families, a subfamily, & 63 genera. Directories / Credits No. 1: “Mary Jane Rathbun: All Hail the Crustacean Queen!”, Written by Heather Soulen, & Published on March 25th, 2021. Published by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/mary-jane-rathbun-hail-crustacean-queen No. 2: “Mary J. Rathbun”, Written by Waldo L. Schmitt, & Published on June 21st, 1971. Published by the National History Museum. https://decapoda.nhm.org/pdfs/27683/27683.pdf No. 3: “Record Unit 7256”, Compiled by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by the Smithsonian Institution. https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_217413 No. 4: “Rathbun, Mary Jane (1860-1943)”, Written by Lucile McCain, & Waldo L Schmitt, & Published in 1973. Published by Harvard University. https://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/biographies/mary-jane-rathbun/ Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Marine Enthusiasts Podcast Cash Daniels Tides of Tomorrow The Open Book, Topanga Olivenbaum Music Pitfire Artisan Pizza Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

The Persaud Foundation is a marine biology nonprofit organization, based in the United States. Our goals are to protect the ocean through education, conservation, & public involvement. The Persaud Foundation The Persaud Foundation The Persaud Foundation The Persaud Foundation We are a U.S 501(c)3 marine biological nonprofit organization, dedicated to protecting the ocean through education, conservation, & public involvement. We currently run an electronic newsletter called The Persaud Catalog , publish online courses about marine biology, & conduct local conservation & education events in Southern California. The Three Pillars Of Our Organization Our Online Courses: We believe in promoting ocean literacy, supporting the ocean through education, and fostering people's oceanic curiosity. For this reason, in August 2024, we officially launched our first course. We currently have ten courses available, with two more under construction. Every course can be found here. For updates, please sign up for our mailing list! Our Electronic Newsletter: For those who wish to advance their marine biological knowledge, we publish an electronic marine biological newsletter approximately 5 times per month. We publish on a variety of topics within marine biology, from ecology to individual ocean creatures. We strive to have an article for everyone, & attract marine biological enthusiasts, professionals in the field, & all those with a curious mind. Each article can be found here. Our Public Conservation Events & Public Educational Events: We frequently conduct conservation events in California, such as Beach Cleanups. We cannot do this without people like you! To find out the closest beach cleanup, please consult our Events Calendar. We appreciate each & every volunteer that we get, & highly recommend getting involved if you want to make a difference. If you are interested in volunteering with us, please email us at thepersaudfoundation@gmail.com or consult our Eventbrite page. In addition to this, we currently conduct local oceanic education events, which can also be found on our calendar. Reach Out To Us! Name Email Subject Message Upload File Upload supported file (Max 15MB) Submit Thank you for submitting! We willl respond to your message as soon as possible. What exactly does your organization do & what is its mission? We are dedicated to raising ocean literacy, protecting the ocean through education, conservation, & public involvement. As of 2024, we operate a marine biological science communication newsletter “The Persaud Catalog”, published approximately 5 times per month, a marine biological online course program, & we conduct public marine biological conservation events in California. We are a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, based in the U.S. What exactly are your online courses? We believe in protecting the ocean through conservation, & education. Education about the sea is essential to conservation, as people cannot understand the needs of the sea & its creatures if they do not understand our ocean & its creatures. We currently offer 10 online courses , with 2 more under construction and scheduled for release soon. Our courses vary in topic; however, they typically discuss marine creatures, as people cannot understand the needs of these marine animals if they do not understand the marine animals in the first place. Our online courses can be found here. What is the benefit of reading your newsletter? Our newsletter, The Persaud Catalog, publishes approximately 5 times per month, with topics of articles ranging from individual marine animals, to how marine resources were used in different areas historically. In addition, we conduct interviews with marine scientists, ocean ecologists, conservationists, & science communicators alike to share the beauty, value, & wonder of the ocean & marine science with as many people as possible. We work our hardest to provide interesting, informative, & engaging articles to our supporters. Each of our articles can be found in the articles tab of our website, or to search for a specific article or topic, please use our navigational bar. What is the Santa Monica Marine Fauna Survey Program? Our Santa Monica Marine Fauna Survey is a program designed to showcase the beauty of Santa Monica Bay, encourage more residents of the area to take an interest in their marine life, & provide a comprehensive list of the marine life in Santa Monica Bay. Anyone who wishes to support this project is encouraged to submit photographs here , where one of our staff or volunteers will process them, then use them to create a web entry on this page . Do you have an Oceanic Question or Question About our Nonprofit / Newsletter? Email Us & We’ll Get Back To You As Soon As Possible. Reach Out To Us

We are a marine biology nonprofit organization, based in the United States. Our goals are to protect the ocean through education, conservation, & public involvement. What exactly does your organization do & what is it's mission? We are The Persaud Foundation, dedicated to raising ocean literacy, protecting the ocean through education, conservation, & public involvement. As of 2024, we run our marine biological science communication newsletter The Persaud Catalog, which is published 5 times per month at least, we publish online courses, we conduct local marine biological education events & we conduct public marine biological conservation events in California. We are a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, based in the U.S. What exactly are your online courses? We believe in protecting the ocean through conservation, education, & public involvement. Education about the sea is essential to conservation, as people cannot understand the needs of the sea & its creatures if they do not understand our ocean & its creatures. We currently offer 10 online courses , with 2 more under construction and scheduled for release soon. Our courses vary in topic; however, they typically are about oceanic animals, as people cannot understand the needs of these animals if they do not understand the animals in the first place. Our online courses can be found here. We also recently began a new series of FREE online courses, called micro-courses, which discuss various dangers plaguing our oceans. These courses are available to anyone, no cost, & teach more about certain issues that our ocean is currently facing, such as overfishing. What is the benefit of reading your newsletter? Our newsletter, The Persaud Catalog, publishes approximately 5 times per month, with topics of articles ranging from individual marine animals, to how marine resources were used in different areas historically. In addition, we conduct interviews with marine scientists, ocean ecologists, conservationists, & science communicators alike to share the beauty, value, & wonder of the ocean & marine science with as many people as possible. We work our hardest to provide interesting, informative, & engaging articles to our supporters. Each of our articles can be found in the articles tab of our website, or to search for a specific article or topic, please use our navigational bar. Where do you most frequently conduct beach cleanups & local conservation events? We semi-frequently conduct local conservation events, or beach cleanups, in Santa Monica, California. Each beach cleanup will be listed in the Events Calendar section of our website, or our Eventbrite profile. We typically limit our attendance for each group, so please be sure to register early & register everyone in your party! Where do you conduct your local marine education events? We semi-frequently conduct local marine biological education events in Los Angeles, California. These events entail different activities such as oceanic educational storytimes, marine biology question & answer sessions, educational fact card distribution, & occasionally, oceanic colouring activities for the youth. Each event shall be listed in the Events Calendar section of our website or our Eventbrite profile. Do you accept donations? Yes! As a nonprofit organization, we gladly accept donations. Each donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. We currently accept donations both digitally and by check. For more information on how to donate to us, please visit the donations page of our website. Each person who donates over 65$ will receive a complementary foundation-branded mug! We also accept donations of equipment. For more information, please contact us at theperaudfoundation@gmail.com . For patrons who wish to contribute on a more regular basis, please consider joining our organization as a member! For more information on memberships, please visit the memberships page of our website. Which country are you registered in as a nonprofit? We are a U.S. Registered 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. For more information on exempt organizations in the U.S., please visit https://www.irs.gov/charities-and-nonprofits . Which country are you registered in as a nonprofit? Our Santa Monica Marine Fauna Survey is a program designed to showcase the beauty of Santa Monica Bay, encourage more residents of the area to take an interest in their marine life, & provide a comprehensive list of the marine life in Santa Monica Bay. Anyone who wishes to support this project is encouraged to submit photographs here , where one of our staff or volunteers will process them, then use them to create a web entry on this page . In each submission, the person should include where the photograph was taken, the approximate size of the subject, as well as any additional information they feel will be helpful. We accept photographs of areas all along Santa Monica Bay, from Point Dume to Palos Verdes. In short, submit a photograph to us of any marine animal, plant, or protist photographed along Santa Monica Bay at this web page, & it will be used to create a comprehensive list of all the marine creatures in Santa Monica Bay.

Our Volunteer Program Our organization operates a dedicated volunteer program for individuals aspiring to make an impact, possessing a profound appreciation & admiration for marine life, and who enjoy the oceanic environment. We value every one of our volunteers, regardless of whether their commitment is long-term or limited to a single afternoon spent participating in one of our beach cleanups. We kindly request that you complete this form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScTrkkKLvzZRN4iHBhMzsbUyl25CkhYE7WbRh9utDlRIdQ6A/viewformif) you are interested in volunteering with our organization in a long-term capacity. Upon completion, you will receive an email within fourteen business days either accepting you into the organization or politely declining your services. Each new volunteer will receive a complimentary sticker, pin, and nonprofit-branded mug upon joining the organization. The two principal categories of long-term volunteers are Science Communication Volunteers and Social Media Volunteers. Each role, along with its associated responsibilities, is detailed below. Science Communication Volunteers: Science Communication Volunteers take on a variety of responsibilities within the organization. Typically, Science Communication Volunteers will design educational graphics for our social media accounts, as well as our online courses, assist with designing courses, & assist in writing guest articles. The responsibilities are relatively fleshed out, however, they can be tailored to the individual strengths of the Volunteer. These individuals are integral to our educational programs & are imperative to the organization. For this role, we are requesting a time commitment of 3 to 9 hours per week depending on what exactly the Volunteer can do. Social Media Volunteers: Social Media volunteers also take on a variety of roles within our organization. Their primary responsibilities are to maintain our social media accounts, such as our Facebook & Eventbrite page. They work closely with our Science Communication team to design valuable educational graphics. These individuals are integral to promoting our organization, as without their valuable contributions, our organization would not be able to promote our programs, & message. For this role, we are requesting a time commitment of 3 to 7 hours per week, depending on what exactly each Volunteer can do.