The Manual Shore Stations Program collects, checks and
publishes temperature and salinity data observed at shoreline stations along
the United States West Coast from La Jolla, California to the Strait of Juan
de Fuca, Washington. The data consist of daily temperature and salinity
values when available. This program ranks as one of the worlds longest ocean
time series and the longest on the Pacific Rim. From this time series we can
accuartely pin down the nature of ocean seasonality for the entire coast of
California, and have begun to understand the anomalies caused by recurring
equatorial El Nino Conditions. There have been large cold anomalies too, but,
as yet, we do not understand their cause. In addition to these episodic
anomalies, there has been a long-term trend for a warmer California Current,
beginning around 1977. These warm and cold anomalies and the long-term
warming trend have significant biological effects on plankton production, fish
catch, and seabirds. They also are associated with changes in sea level, wave
heights and beach erosion. We are only beginning to learn the details of the
linkages between all these processes. This growing databank provides us with
one of the first opportunities to separate natural from man-cause changes in
our coastal zone. This work is a collaborative program sponsored by the
California Department of Boating and Waterways. 
