Tropic Cascade & other changes at Crystal Cove
First of all, let it be made clear that tidepooling is often subject to random events that affect what you see. Although it's very predictable to find certain species at the different zones, there are some species that everyone figures to be around but don't always see.
Since I've been coming to Crystal Cove's northernmost spot (Pelican Point) to bring students and family to tidepool on and off a few times per year for 25+ years, anecdotal evidence given the kind of randomness one sees isn't as strong as someone doing a transect every week.
Yet this project, moving forward, might help to mark the changes.
The decline of Ochre Stars is documented with the pathogen that caused a strange wasting illness (http://www.news.ucsb.edu/2018/018827/wasting-away). Supposedly they are evolving and making a rebound (https://www.sfchronicle.com/science/article/Starfish-on-California-coast-nearly-wiped-out-by-13018262.php), but I haven't seen any around here yet this year. The Mussel Beds are gone off the point rocks, lots of smaller ones growing in small clusters, so it's possible the Ochres haven't returned because the mussels aren't there.
Interesting to me is the seemed appearance of a snail species I hadn't seen here before, Three winged Murex (Pteropupura trialata). Maybe they've always been here, but I find it surprising that in three visits this Fall 2018 I've seen multiples of this snail each visit and none ever prior to this. According to sources, they range normally in this area (http://www.gastropods.com/4/Shell_1424.shtml), but again I haven't seen them in these numbers here before.
Since populations in this area can often experience a boom-bust cycle due to local changes that come and go (ie extra sand from sandbar activity up the coast), but the Mussel decline is well documented (https://www.ocregister.com/2018/02/23/a-hunt-for-the-invasive-dark-unicorn-snail-shows-uci-students-how-climate-change-is-altering-crystal-cove-tide-pools/), I'm interested in keeping track of what is here to stay versus what is just taking hold or making an invasion from somewhere else.
