New eelgrass exhibit opens at Morro Bay National Estuary Program Nature Center

By Staff Report · Sat Sep 05 2026

MORRO BAY — Visitors to the Morro Bay National Estuary Program’s Nature Center can now explore the importance of eelgrass habitat through a new bilingual, interactive exhibit.

The exhibit, available in English and Spanish, introduces visitors of all ages to eelgrass meadows and their role in the Morro Bay estuary. Interactive components provide an opportunity to learn about the underwater habitat and its connections to fish, birds and other wildlife.

Eelgrass is a flowering marine plant that forms dense underwater meadows in shallow waters. The habitat provides food and shelter for wildlife while helping improve water quality, stabilize sediment and store carbon. In Morro Bay, eelgrass is considered an important component of a healthy and resilient estuary.

“Much of what makes eelgrass habitat so unique is hidden beneath the surface,” Carolyn Geraghty, Estuary Program Restoration Program Director said. “We hope this exhibit sparks curiosity and gives young visitors a chance to discover a part of Morro Bay they might not otherwise get to see.”

The exhibit is dedicated to the memory of Kendra Chan, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Ventura office who died in a boat fire accident in 2019. Chan was passionate about the ocean and spent her career working in conservation and connecting people with science.

The new exhibit is open to the public at the Morro Bay National Estuary Program’s Nature Center on the second floor of 601 Embarcadero. The Nature Center is free and open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Funding for the exhibit was provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency and Morro Bay National Estuary Program.

The Morro Bay National Estuary Program works to protect and restore the Morro Bay estuary, its watershed and the wildlife and people who depend on it. More information is available at mbnep.org