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
Sargassum horneri (S. horneri) is a large alga native to the shallow reefs of eastern Asia. As a key species in the Northwest Pacific ecosystem, S. horneri is a primary producer, a biofilter of nutrient runoff, and a traditional food source for the people who live in Japan, Korea, and China. The seaweed beds also Read More
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
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
On July 16, 2016, the Marine Mammal Center released four rehabilitated California sea lions in Morro Bay. After witnessing dead and dying sea lion pups in 2013 and 2015 on Malibu beaches, I was moved to tears to see these pups so excited to get back in the water. Here are their profiles. Note that Read More
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
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
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
On a Sunday morning in March 2013, I spotted three dead California sea lion pups and two dying pups on the beach just south-east of the cliffs in Point Dume, Malibu. I called the Marine Mammal Care Center for help but they were overwhelmed and could not assist the pups. Two years later in April Read More
El Niño finally arrived in the San Francisco Bay Area this winter. The local hills turned green, and reservoirs and creeks were filled from the abundant rainfall. But the accompanying ocean storm surges off the Pacific Ocean pounded the coast, causing the erosion Read More