IN THIS ISSUE

OceanFest 2006

Celebrating California and the World Ocean 2006

Atop Hawk Hill: An Interview with Allen Fish

Wildlife Spotlight:
Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys Coriacea)

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OceanFest 2006

Whale Watching

Have you seen a whale this year? Come join FMSA on one of our day-long whale watching trips in the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.

Saturday, October 21

Saturday, November 4

Have the opportunity to see whales, dolphins, sea lions, seals, puffins, huge colonies of birds, and the Farallon Islands up close.

7:30 a.m.-4 p.m., departing from the San Francisco Marina

Trips are $85 or $78 for members.

Spaces are limited and fill up quickly.

For more information or to register contact Adrian at askaj@farallones.org or 415.561.6625 x300.

Gulf of the Farallones Research Course

October 14-15, 2006. 

Board the 133ft oceanographic research vessel White Holly to learn methods of oceanographic research and marine wildlife observation. As one of 12 students in a 2-day overnight intensive scientific research course, you will learn why thousands of birds and marine mammals come to this area to feed and breed  Course outline.

Sea Level Project

For the first time, the effects of global warming will be projected on a public streetscape in a groundbreaking instillation of the "Future Sea Level Project."

From Thursday, September 21 through Saturday, September 23, Aquarium of the Bay will be marked with a customized "FutureSeaLevel.org" tape to demonstrate the new sea level rise on its pillars and entrance staircase.

OceanFest 2006

Join the free celebration Saturday, October 7, 11-4, at Crissy Field, San Francisco.

Sustainable seafood by top restaurants, live music, wine and beer, exhibitors, kids’ activities and more. Continued >>

 

 

Celebrating California and the World Ocean 2006

You may not agree with the Governator on every issue but when it comes to our ocean, he rocks! In a clear break with the environmental polices of President George Bush, California will become the first US state to impose limits on greenhouse gases contributing to global warming that has lead to rising ocean temperatures. In addition, Schwarzenegger formed a California Ocean Protection Council to lead the state in addressing important ocean issues. Continued >>

 

 

Atop Hawk Hill: An interview with GGRO Director Allen Fish

Every fall, thousands of hawks and raptors migrate through the Golden Gate near San Francisco. These birds of prey play a vital role in our ecosystem, managing populations of small birds, rodents and snakes. In addition, they interact with the marine environment, feeding on the carcasses of mammals and sea birds.

Each year, hundreds of volunteers from the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (GGRO) climb Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands to monitor the fall migration.  FMSA staff had the special opportunity to take classes with Allen Fish, the director of GGRO, and interviewed the bird expert.   Continued >>

 

 

Wildlife Spotlight: Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys Coriacea)

Last month, on a bird watching boat trip to the Cordell Bank, viewers were treated to a rare and wonderful sight.  A few feet from the starboard bow of the ship, a giant leatherback turtle surfaced.

The leatherback is the largest turtle in the world, and can measure 6 to 8 feet long and weigh up to 2000 pounds (900 kg). They are usually spotted in warmer waters—the Caribbean, the mid Atlantic between West Africa and South America—however, they can travel as far north as Newfoundland and British Columbia. During the summer, they occasionally migrate past the Farallon Islands and Cordell Bank. Leatherbacks are pelagic animals, spending most of their time in the open ocean, but they also forage into coastal waters. Continued >>