Hannah Donaghe Surveys for the Endangered Tidewater Goby at Devereux Slough and UCSB’s North Campus Open Space

This survey takes place within Devereux Slough and the footprint of the North Campus Open Space (NCOS) Restoration Project upstream to Phelps Creek.

Hannah and the CCBER team identified a record 94 tidewater gobies (Eucyclogobius newberryi) during this year’s survey, showing an increase compared to last year’s total of 63. Prior to the 2023 survey, tidewater gobies had not been observed since surveys conducted for the project in 2019. These small fish, rarely exceeding two inches in length, were listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 1994 when their numbers significantly declined from the California coastal lagoons, estuaries, and marshes they call home.

​​​​​​​The main component of the NCOS project was restoration of the former Ocean Meadows Golf Course to native upland and wetland/marsh habitats. Prior to restoration, Devereux Creek flowed into Devereux Slough at a weir, or low dam. This weir was removed, and the restoration of portions of the upper channels of Devereux Creek allowed for tidal influence further upstream where it meets Phelps Creek and into the eastern channel. Tidewater gobies have likely expanded into these aquatic habitats further upstream, which now provide suitable habitat conditions.

"I’ve been supporting CCBER with monitoring surveys for several years, and it’s been exciting to see an increase in the number of tidewater gobies at Devereux Slough and to see individuals moving upstream into the restored NCOS channels,” says Donaghe. “Tidewater gobies are threatened by habitat loss, but they are a resilient species and can benefit from projects like this one, that focus on restoring the lagoon and estuarine habitat they rely on.”
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Hannah is approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the project’s Biological Opinion to survey for tidewater goby, and she plans on continuing her support in the ongoing restoration monitoring activities at Coal Oil Point Reserve and the North Campus Open Space.

Check out CCBER’s Newsletter here for more information on survey findings: here