Map of Santa Catalina Island

Map of Catalina [Catalina Island Conservancy].

Located approximately 22 miles off the coast of Southern California, Santa Catalina boasts a variety of sites to see, including beaches, bays, harbors, and other notable landmarks. As a localized ecosystem, the island is home to over 50 endemic plant, animal, and insect species such as the Santa Catalina Shrew and the Avalon Hairstreak Butterfly.  The climate is mediterranean-like with generally warm temperatures year round [Catalina Island Conservancy]. 

History of Catalina's Ecosystem & People -- Okay!

Historically Catalina's ecosystem has had many encounters with people. Despite this fact, the island has remained well-preserved as many rare and endemic species still roam the lands. In the past, Native Americans utilized Catalina's resources, including the ocean and plants, to sustain their hunter-gatherer life. Then in 1602, the island transformed into a small Spanish settlement, bringing new diseases and eventually displacing the Natives. Following this, Santa Catalina came under American rule in 1846, which briefly brought miners and new land stakeholders until 1848. The people who inhabited the island after that began developing the town of Avalon. This development included telephones, dance pavilions, a band stand, an aquarium, a railroad, and a golf course. Even throughout this time, Catalina continued to be relatively undeveloped. This explains why Philip K. Wrigley and his family donated almost 90% of the land to the non-profit Catalina Island Conservancy to preserve the rest of the land. The Wrigleys believed that these remaining portions should be conserved rather than developed [Catalina Chamber of Commerce].

Above is a 1940s flyer advertising the ferry to and from Catalina Island on the S.S. Avalon and S.S. Catalina. [Cruise Line History]

Historical State of Catalina's Ecosystem

The formation of Catalina began millions of years ago with volcanic activity on the ocean floor 22 miles off the coast of Southern California. This was followed by erosion and climate change, which created the mountains and shallow soil seen today. Originally, the land lacked terrestrial life because of its isolated location off the mainland. However plants and animals arrived eventually, most likely by chance with the help of the wind, ocean, or perhaps flight. Due to this chance arrival, the island houses many endemic species, including the Bewick's wren and the Catalina manzanita. Before human contact, Santa Catalina had an even greater biodiversity without predators and competition. [Catalina Island Conservancy]

Historic Catalina & Catalina Today

Historic view of the S.S. Catalina from Avalon Bay. Photographed June 30, 1924. [lahistory.tumblr.com]

Catalina Island Visitor's Bureau Photo [TripAdvisor] 

Current Human Impacts & Catalina -- Okay!

Santa Catalina Island's history with people dates back 7,000 years ago. Over the years, the island housed Native Americans, Mexicans, miners, Union Soldiers, and the Wrigley family, amongst others. Similarly to its past, Catalina today has mixed uses: 88% serves as the Catalina Island Conservancy and the rest serves as a resort for recreation and tourism.

The Conservancy offers eco-tours to educate the public.

The Catalina Island Conservancy, founded in 1972, aims "to be a responsible steward of [their] lands through a balance of conservation, education, and recreation." [catalinaconservancy.org] With this mission, the Conservancy has become a leader in protecting and restoring endangered habitats and species through preservation programs. The Conservancy land is comprised of 50 miles of beaches and coves, as well as 60 endemic plant, animal, and insect species. This allows for great educational opportunities, which explains why the Catalina Conservancy educates the public about its uniqueness in both a formal classroom setting and an informal outdoor experience. As for its recreational side, the Conservancy allows the public to hike, bike, camp, boat, run and simply enjoy its beautiful landscape. More than one million people including over sixty thousand school children visit these lands each year. 

The town of Avalon looks like a picturesque resort

On the remaining portion of the island lies the city of Avalon, the southernmost city in Los Angeles. Avalon remains chiefly a resort town, owned by the Santa Catalina Island Company. The city includes harbors, beaches, a casino, commercial businesses, and a residential area. In 2010, there were 3,728 residents, a 19% growth in a decade. Despite the works of the Conservancy, humans continue to impact the island's biodiversity in a variety of ways, including (but not limited to) pollution and non-native species introduction. The first issue, pollution, has made Avalon Bay an exemplary case study for water contamination over the past decade. This pollution stems from multiple, land-based sources, including street run-off and leaking drains [American Chemical Society]. The pollution has not only ruined the beaches, but also the surrounding marine habitats. Additionally, non-native species continue to endanger native species. For example, domestic cats, probably introduced by European Explorers, created competition for the island fox for resources and eventually excluded the fox from certain shelters. Consequently, the island fox almost went extinct [Institute for Wildlife Studies]. This phenomena is not limited to animal species, however. For instance, the Flax-leaved broom, introduced by the city of Avalon, is slowly gaining establishment on the land [Catalina Island Conservancy]. Conclusively, the growing human population on Catalina has inadvertently affected the ecosystem and wildlife there.

Data of Current Impacts

The graph to the left shows how much fuel is used each year by residents and businesses on Catalina Island. The Sustainable Action Group hopes to lower both numbers by improving public transportation. [Sustainable Action Group]. 

The image to the right illustrates Catalina's resource cycle. The Sustainable Action Group aims to lower gas, diesel, and propane usage. Also, one can see how sewage and landfill contribute to pollution. [Sustainable Action Group]

 The table to the left shows the land mammals on Catalina Island and their current status. 

I = Introduced

EX = Extirpated, Completely Removed

ST = State Threatened 

R = Rare

E = Catalina Island Endemic 

CSC = CA Species of Special Concern

[Catalina Island Conservancy] 

Future Prospects for Catalina -- Optimistic!

Pictured: The endemic Catalina Island Fox. 

Since the Catalina Island Conservancy acts as to preserve and restore the majority of the land, the island's future looks hopeful. So far the Conservancy has reduced non-native plant and animal species and will continue to do so in the future. This reduction can be exemplified by the invasive bison population. In addition to their reduction, non-native species will also be studied to survey their impacts and to help create new plans to manage the island's natural ecosystem. An example of a plan already in progress is the Catalina Island Fox Recovery Plan, which has succeeded in saving the foxes from near extinction [Catalina Island Conservancy]. Besides flora and fauna, the island's ecological footprint reduction also looks hopeful as the Sustainability Action Group set goals to cut back on water use and electricity use. The group also aims to build a more sustainable infrastructure and public transportation system [Catalina Sustainability Action Group]. Together both groups will continue to strive for an economically and environmentally sustainable future.

Improvements/Maintenance of Human Impacts

Visitors frequent Catalina to learn about its ecosystem.

To maintain positive human impacts on the island, the Catalina Island Conservancy should continue their efforts to reduce invasive species introduced by humans and to oversee species endangered by human contact. Also, the Sustainability Action Group should really publish and advertise their goals to the public, including tourists. The group needs to emphasize the responsibility that everyone shares when living or visiting Catalina. To improve their systems, both the Conservancy and the Group should try to educate the public about the delicate ecosystem on the island. Additionally, the two could enforce stricter protocols regarding resident and visitor resource usage. It would also be wise to monitor the introduction of any potential invasive species by requiring that pets and certain plants go through an airport customs-like system.