IN THIS ISSUE

Interview with Aaron Peskin:  SF's Proposed Ban on Styrofoam

Volunteer Spotlight:
Celebration of Sanctuary Stewards

In the News:  The Bay's Mysterious Fish Killer

Wildlife Spotlight:
The Horned Puffin (Fratercula comiculata)

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Experience the beauty and mystery of sea kayaking with FMSA August 5th at Drake's Estero Paddle. CLICK HERE for the full schedule of kayaking trips. For more information and registration, email kmclaughlin@farallones.org or call 415-561-6625 ext 310.

FMSA is offering its annual Teacher Workshop on August 10th and 11th. This year, the workshop will focus on the rugged, diverse coastal ecosystems of San Mateo County. For more information contact Amy Dean at adean@farallones.org or 415.561.6625 x303.

 

Looking to get outside? Looking for a little Saturday fun?  Want to be a part of a bigger movement?  Come out and join FMSA in cleaning up Crissy Field's beaches during the 22nd Annual California Coastal Clean-Up Day, September 16, 2006. For more information call Joanne Mohr at 415.561.6625 x307 or email her at jmohr@farallones.org.

The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy is offering free Pier Crabbing (7/22, 8/12, 8/26) at Fort Point from 10am-Noon. Please call 415.556.1693 to participate.

Are  you interested in learning more about our Sanctuaries?  Would you like to explore the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary by boat?  The Point Reyes National Seashore Association offers various field seminars throughout the summer and fall. On October 1, they will be offering, Wildlife Watching at Cordell Bank:  Boat Trip to the National Marine Sanctuary.  For more information or to view other field seminars, CLICK HERE or call 415.663.1200. 

Looking for a weekend activity?  Visit the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS) Visitor Center at Crissy Field. See some of the Sanctuary's aquatic life close up in the Center's aquarium tanks, learn about the sharks that frequent Sanctuary waters, view the stunning 15 foot ocean mural and learn how to get involved in protecting our local marine environment.  Its a great place to bring the kids and spend a day at the beach.  The Visitor Center is open from 10am-4pm, Wednesdays-Sundays.

 

Interview with San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin:  The City's Proposed Ban On Stryofoam 

LH: We are thrilled that you have proposed banning Styrofoam in San Francisco. What motivated you to do so?

AP: To give credit where it’s due, banning the use of Styrofoam is something Berkeley did by voter initiative almost twenty years ago. My immediate inspiration came from the City of Oakland, who just moved forward with their own ordinance banning the use of Styrofoam and, like ours, requiring the use of compostable or biodegradable alternatives where affordable.

Continued >>

Volunteer Spotlight: Celebration of Sanctuary Stewards

Each year the Volunteer Appreciation Event honors and applauds over 250 Sanctuary Volunteers and their many contributions that make the Sanctuary and Association ever more successful. From being the first to discover an oiled bird on a local beach, to educating the public about wildlife disturbances, to being Sanctuary Ambassadors, to answering questions at the Visitor Center, Sanctuary Volunteers help get the job done. Continued >>

 

In the News:  The Bay's Mysterious Fish Killer

During the week of July 7th, thousands of dead fish washed onshore in an area ranging from Hayward to San Leandro and in the South Bay from the Dumbarton Bridge to the San Mateo Bridge.  Beginning in early June, 35 to 40 leopard sharks were also found dead in the same geographic area.  The dead fish were later identified as striped bass and sturgeon.  Due to the high numbers and the large geographic area, the deaths are cause for concern.  The California Department of Fish and Game sent the leopard sharks to a Stanford lab for testing.  The sturgeon and striped bass were sent to a state lab in Rancho Cordova.  Pathology reports on the leopard sharks showed no sign of toxins.  Testing on the sturgeon and striped bass are continuing and results are expected as early as next week.  Until then, the cause of death remains a mystery.  Continued >>

Wildlife Spotlight: The Horned Puffin (Fratercula comiculata)

On February 17th of this year, FMSA Beach Watch volunteers conducting a beach survey at Bradley Beach (near Pescadero State Beach) spotted a Horned Puffin (Fratercula comiculata) near the shore. The bird was able to fly a short distance, but it was injured.  The puffin was captured and transported to the Northern California chapter of the International Bird Rescue, where it was nurtured back to health.  Continued >>

Photo credit:  T. Van Pelt, Courtesy of USGS.

 

Technology R Us!

FMSA is pleased to announce the award of two grants that will ensure our volunteer programs a place on the cutting edge of technology:

Beach Watch Online received a grant form the Resource Legacy Foundation that will enable Beach Watch volunteers to enter the data collected on beach surveys into an on-line database, thereby making data more readily available to Sanctuary Managers and responders to marine environmental disasters.

A grant from the Marine Community Foundation will redesign the website and database of LiMPETS (Long-term Monitoring Program & Experiential Training for Students) for middle school, high school, and other volunteer groups to monitor the rocky intertidal, sandy shore and offshore areas of the five west coast National Marine Sanctuaries. The new website will be fun and interactive, but more important, it will foster an appreciation by the students that they are involved in a much larger project, one that will assist researchers and scientists in important global issues such as how climate change affects the marine environment.