The Tide Is Out

Cold Water Bias

When I show people photos of the animals I love from the intertidal, I frequently get the response, “I had no idea we had such colorful animals in California.” And while at first, I thought it was just a couple people here and there, I soon began to realize that this is a pervading thought on the West Coast. A small number of us have seen the immense beauty in our coastal waters and the rest of the millions remain in ignorance, assuming only a few dull color fish swim off our shores. 

At first, this struck me as odd, but then I began to think of the culture that surrounds the ocean. Documentaries focuses on tropical locations for their vivacity and exoticness to viewers. Home aquariums are stocks with warm water fish, mostly because they are colorful, like the butterflyfish below. Divers travel to far flung places to have a chance to dive without a wetsuit in tropical seas. Pop science, social media, and all kinds of publicity further the idea that amazing animals in the ocean live in warm water. 

And to some extent, this is true. Anyone who has dipped their toes in the waves of California knows that we are in a temperate region. The coral reefs of the tropics have a huge amount of life and color, and our kelp forests can be rather dull in comparison. Scientists aren’t sure why tropical fish tend to be more colorful than fish in other waters. Some say it’s to distinguish their own species in the crowded environment to facilitate mating or decrease competition. Others suggest that it is to blend in with their surroundings, particularly colorful coral, although this begs the questions why corals are colorful. 

Whatever, the reason, I think these facts have blinded millions of people living on the Pacific coast of the U.S. to the diversity of life in our waters. I’m choosing to call this phenomenon cold water bias: the pre-supposed idea that ocean life is not colorful or interesting because the water is cold. 

A flash of an orange Garibaldi is all the color a casual observer might notice in our waters. But if you’ve spent any time on my blog before, you’ll know that many of the creatures on California’s coastline are very colorful indeed, particularly in the intertidal. The invertebrates that live here may usually go unnoticed because of their small size, but they have more than their fair share of beauty if you look close enough. Would you have guessed that the brilliantt red Christmas tree worm in the photo above was found in cold California waters?

It is a strange yet universal human experience that we see what we look for; I encourage you to look for beauty even in places you don’t think you’ll find it. Don’t have cold water— or any— bias that assumes people or places before you really see them. Far more of the coastal community on California’s coast could enjoy seeing intertidal creatures if only they didn’t assume there wasn’t anything to see. Trust me, there is plenty.