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Description

The Ballona Wetlands is a 51-acre freshwater marsh ecosystem located in the Playa Vista Community of Westside Los Angeles, California. The 25 acres north of Loyola Marymount University are part of a riparian corridor that is used for community beautification and enjoyment, while the 26 acres situated to the west of LMU comprise a large freshwater marsh that has been the focus of efforts to restore the ecological function of the area. Along with beautification and community enjoyment, marshes have the potential to serve as sites for mosquito breeding.Mosquitoes represent a significant health risk, as they are known as vectors of various diseases and nuisances to humans. In order to reproduce, mosquitoes require relatively stagnant water and temperatures consistently above 10°C. In the Ballona Wetlands, a large area of water sits relatively still, and poses a risk as a site of large-scale mosquito reproduction in the center of an urban area. This area has not shown a significant risk of serving as a site of mosquito proliferation, however monitoring needs to be conducted during mosquito breeding seasons to maintain the low-risk site designation. From Aug.-Nov. of 2018, several sites in the Ballona Wetlands were sampled and all mosquito larvae and pupae found were counted and the numbers recorded to better understand mosquito breeding patterns and density.

Publication Date

2019

Mosquito Larvae Density Study at Ballona Freshwater Marsh

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