Saving Tidewater Gobies: Rescue After Palisades Fire

03.26.2025 | Heal the Bay

Discover how Heal the Bay and partners are rescuing endangered tidewater gobies and restoring habitats devastated by the Palisades fire.

UPDATE 3/26/2025

In the aftermath of the fires, our Aquarium Animal Care Team took in 160 federally endangered Tidewater Gobies that were rescued from contaminated waters in Topanga Creek. We’re just one of two facilities to house them in response to the fires, authorized by US Fish and Wildlife Services. While we await confirmation that they can safely be released back into the wild, our experienced team is providing daily care and supporting any natural breeding that may occur, as spring is their peak spawning season. These efforts will continue to support the survival of this vital species.

On March 6, 2025, the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains found a number of healthy adult gobies in the Topanga Lagoon, generating hope for the revival of this important ecosystem. However, a recent survey of the Topanga Lagoon indicates that the Goby habitat has not yet been sufficiently restored to safely release the gobies. We are optimistic about returning the rescued fish to their natural habitat sometime in May. Even after the return of the gobies, Heal the Bay hopes to continue working with USFW initiatives in supporting this essential endangered species work.

UPDATE 2/10/2025

Humans aren’t the only ones who lost their homes in the horrific Palisades fire. The blazes destroyed acres of habitat for local wildlife. They also created polluted runoff that is now fouling the creeks and ponds where many species live.

That’s why the Heal the Bay Aquarium has taken in around 160 tidewater gobies, a local endangered species of fish living in Topanga’s brackish waters. Now that they have been collected from impacted waterways, these small creatures will receive special care from our highly experienced animal care staff for the next several months.

Heal the Bay is supporting the rescue in collaboration with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, Aquarium of the Pacific, and Dr. Brenton Spies, a researcher from the University of the Channel Islands and former aquarist at Heal the Bay. Spies has a long history with these unique little fish. This collaborative effort is not just about saving a species — it’s a hopeful step in preserving the entire ecosystem after the devastating fires. 

Gobies are endangered but amazing

The tidewater goby, Eucyclogobius newberryi, is a federally endangered species. It is a tiny bottom-dwelling fish that lives in the marshes, lagoons, creeks, and estuaries of California.  It feeds mainly on super tiny animals, like mysid shrimp, amphipods, and aquatic insect larvae. Gobies serve as an important food source for many shore birds, the southern steelhead trout and the all-important California halibut. 

These endangered fish are definitely cute (only about two inches long), but they’re also pretty tough. Tidewater gobies can endure extreme water salinities ranging from 0-42 ppt. They can also survive massive temperature changes, sometimes enduring jumps from 46 to 87 degrees. They even thrive in natural pools with super-low oxygen levels.

As resilient as these tiny fish are, they’ve been severely impacted by coastal development, the degradation of habitat, and the alteration of naturally occurring water flows. Few other fish species can survive the variable conditions of lagoons, so tidewater gobies have few native predators or competitors but have suffered significant losses from invasive species introduced to their regions.  

Caring for gobies at Heal the Bay 

The endangered gobies are currently housed in two isolated systems at the Aquarium. We have separated them by size and supplied them each with PVC pipe so they can create their own dwellings and live comfortably during their time with us. They consume live plankton, known as brine shrimp. They’ve been eating readily, which indicates they are adjusting well to a new environment.  

The gobies aren’t on public display yet, but we’re working on a dedicated exhibit to showcase them. In the meantime, we’re giving them the space to settle in and adjust to our presence. We can’t wait to share them with visitors once they’re ready.

As part of our partnership with Santa Monica College, we aim to introduce students in the Sustainable Aquaculture Certification Program to the gobies. The goal of this initiative is to show how conservation aquaculture can help support endangered species. Stay tuned for the public unveiling!

More Resources:

From the LA Times, how Heal the Bay and other conservation groups responded with fish rescue efforts following the Palisades fire.

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