9-million-year-old marine fossils found beneath California high school during construction

Caitlin McCormack

Millions of prehistoric marine fossils were discovered beneath a California high school over the course of a multi-year construction project.

The relics recovered at San Pedro High School included parts of whales, teeth from megalodon sharks, saber-toothed salmon, and other fish that date back to nine million years ago.

Prehistoric fossils discovered at San Pedro High School construction site. ABC
Prehistoric fossils discovered at San Pedro High School construction site. ABC

“We realized we had millions of bones from sea creatures of all sorts, mostly fish, but also sea mammals, sea turtles, shorebirds, kelp and other types of seaweed and invertebrates like shells and stuff all in one place,” Dr. Wayne Bischoff, director of cultural resources at Envicom Corporation, told ABC7.

“And it represents an entire ecology of the ocean 9 millions of years ago.”

The fossils were first uncovered during the school’s modernization project, which began in 2022.

The first find was unearthed in June 2022 beneath the school’s main courtyard, with discoveries continuing through June 2024, according to the LAist.

“We believe there was a submarine channel that was carrying material down from shallower water into deeper water and volcanism going on somewhere in the vicinity,” Dr. Austin Hendy, assistant curator at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, told ABC7.

“This was a big surprise to everybody when they started digging these trenches to unearth these fish fossils.”

For some students, the discovery gave them something to tell their parents if asked how school was going — and for others, it paved the way for unexpected professional opportunities.

A man and woman wearing face masks examining fossils found at San Pedro High School construction project. ABC
A man and woman wearing face masks examining fossils found at San Pedro High School construction project. ABC

“They needed someone from here to help with it and I’ve always wanted to work at the museum. So as soon as the opportunity came up, I seized it and it’s just been amazing,” Milad Esfahani, a senior at San Pedro High School and an intern at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County told ABC7.

So far, the research team studying the discoveries said they have identified 200 species so far, but that it could take up to a year to determine what all of them are.

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