An interdisciplinary team of scientists from the Marine Science Institute of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) paid a visit to Ocean Beach recently to sample, catalog and compare historical datasets of Southern California’s beach health. The long-term study is assessing changes in the water, sand and beach ecology since members of the UCSB team last visited to take samples in the 1970s, according to researchers at the university. From these new efforts and previous research sources, the scientists and graduate students are evaluating changes in sandy beach ecosystems over more than 30 years for beaches located between Morro Bay and San Diego — including Ocean Beach. After taking sand cores, the samples were placed in a fine mesh bag by the researchers and taken out to the surf to wash out the sand and expose the sea life and other elements that remained. The research project is made possible by California Sea Grant, the California Coastal Commission, UCSB’s Coastal Fund and the National Science Foundation’s Santa Barbara Coastal Long Term Ecological Research program.  “They are integrating the ecological and physical information obtained in the study to assess status and trends in sand supply, beach width, biological diversity and community structure and function,” according to a written statement by officials at UCSB’s Marine Science Institute. “Historical records are being analyzed to identify potentially rare, declining or even locally extinct intertidal species that may be important to ecosystem function or prey for birds,  fish and marine mammals,” continues the statement. “The findings will be the subject of a master’s thesis and will be shared with coastal regulators and managers to inform and improve beach management and conservation.”