Allison J. Gong

Allison J. Gong is a marine biologist and college-level biology teacher. She writes about her observations of the natural world at Notes From a California Naturalist.
living sand dollar

Buried Treasure

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You’ve seen their bleached skeletons lying on the beach or scattered in gardens. What does a living sand dollar do?

giant green anemone

Voracious Flowers of the Tidepool

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Some of the most conspicuous animals in Northern California tidepools don’t look like animals at all. They resemble flowers more than any animal you’re probably familiar with.

Henricia sea star

The Eyes of the Sea Star

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We’re used to bodies having front and back, top and bottom, left and right. But as some common California tidepool creatures show, there’s a totally different way of living.