Nov 282018
 
The Impacts of Global Warming on Upwelling in the California Current

From southern British Columbia to the Baja California Peninsula, winds blow southward along the coast. Combined with the rotation of the earth, these winds cause the surface layer of the ocean to move offshore. Seawater then wells up from beneath the surface to replace the water that was pushed away. When this deep cold water Read More

Aug 182017
 
Rising Sea Levels and the Public Trust Doctrine

The California Ocean Protection Council and the California Natural Resources Agency have updated statewide guidance on sea-level rise to reflect new advances in ice loss science. Their new report, “Rising Seas in California: An Update on Sea-Level Rise Science,” notes that satellite data of West Antarctica show an increased loss of grounded land ice and Read More

Apr 092017
 
The Plight of the California Sea Lion, Part 2

This is the second part of a two-part series about the recent unusual mortality events of California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) pups. The first article investigated the reasons why thousands of emaciated pups have been stranded on California beaches. This article highlights the work of nonprofit organizations dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating them.  Rescue A Read More

Jul 222016
 
Mexico Bans Night Fishing and Gill Nets to Protect the Critically Endangered Vaquita Porpoise

Vaquita, which in Spanish means “little cow,” is a rare porpoise and the smallest and most endangered species of the cetacean order. Also called the Gulf of California Harbor porpoise (Phocoena sinus), it was discovered only in 1958, but by 2014 the estimated number of individuals dropped below 100, putting it in imminent danger of Read More

May 042016
 
“Well, at least we now have a nice view of the ocean.”

So was the general, and admittedly ironic, opinion of apartment residents living across the street from two recently demolished La Esplanade Apartment buildings in Pacifica. The middle two of the four-building complex, all with their backs to the Pacific Ocean, were torn down by the city of Pacifica over the winter of 2015-16, before the Read More

Apr 252016
 
Landslide Fears Force Teardown of Pacifica Apartment Buildings

When the La Esplanade Apartments were built in the early 1970s, on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the Bay Area coastal community of Pacifica, lucky residents were treated to an incredible ocean view out their back windows and balconies. Before them lay a couple of hundred feet of ice plant-covered ground before the Read More