Wilmington Waterfront &
Wilmington Marinas

You Are Here

The waterfront near Banning’s Landing Community Center and along the Wilmington Waterfront Promenade offers visitors a “window to the waterfront” for the community of Wilmington. Nearby marinas provide opportunities to access the harbor and adjacent coastal habitats via boat.

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Wilmington Waterfront and Marina

Habitats Located at
Wilmington Waterfront and Marinas

Located in the inner harbor, habitats near the WIlmington Waterfont and nearby marinas include muddy seafloor, open water, riprap shoreline, and pilings. Hover over images below to learn about the different Wilmington Waterfront habitats.

Seafloor

The seafloor in the inner harbor is comprised of mostly muddy sediments with some small patches of eelgrass on shallow slopes near the shoreline. Common animals here include gobies, shrimp, lobsters, and animals that burrow into the sediments such as worms and small clams.

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Pelagic

The pelagic zone in the inner harbor is the open-water areas in the basins and channels away from the shoreline. Common animals here include topsmelt, anchovies, waterfowl, and the occasional dolphin and sea lion.

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Riprap

Riprap in the inner harbor is widespread on rocky embankments and under piers to provide stabilization to the shoreline. Soft-bodied and coralline algae are commonly found on riprap, as well as sessile invertebrates like tube worms, sea squirts, and barnacles.

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Pilings

Piling habitat in the inner harbor is widespread because marinas, marine terminals, and other artificial structures are plentiful. Communities on pilings vary with tidal zone, with barnacles common in the upper intertidal while algae and animals such as macroalgae, mussels, scallops, and sponges are more common in the lower intertidal and subtidal.

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What Lives Here?

Animals living in the inner harbor most commonly survive by attaching to pilings and riprap to filter plankton and particles out of the water, or by finding food on the muddy seafloor. Check out the photos below to see examples of species that have been found near-by Wilmington Waterfront!

Inner Harbor Riprap and Piling Habitat

Check out inner harbor riprap and piling habitat and the animals that call this area of the harbor home.

Test Your Knowledge!

How much do you know about planktonic forms of species
found in the harbor
?

Drag the juvenile images on the right to match them with corresponding adult images on the left.
(Illustrations courtesy of CalCOFI Atlas 33)