As Kelp Forests Again Reach for the Ocean Surface in Santa Monica Bay, Life Follows.

The difference is like night and day. What was once a barren underwater landscape of reef overrun by millions of urchins is now a kelp forest teeming with life. Anchored to the sea floor, long stalks of kelp tower in the water, their giant fronds bouncing with the current. Schools of fish flit through the… Continue reading As Kelp Forests Again Reach for the Ocean Surface in Santa Monica Bay, Life Follows.

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A Taste of the Sea: Nature Documentary ‘The Delicacy’ Dives Into Humankind’s Obsession with Sea Urchin Uni

Have you ever gone to a sushi restaurant and wondered what is “uni”? …Civilizations as ancient as Rome have indulged in these gourmet gonads, but despite modern technologies, fishing for sea urchins remains far from easy or automated. Jason Wise, founder of the online streaming service SOMM TV, documents the lives of hardworking Santa Barbara… Continue reading A Taste of the Sea: Nature Documentary ‘The Delicacy’ Dives Into Humankind’s Obsession with Sea Urchin Uni

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Palos Verdes Reef Restoration Project Begins Again This Week

A project to restore reefs and marine animals off the Palos Verdes Peninsula Coast resumes this week and is expected to be finished in September. A large barge and crane will be seen off Rancho Palos Verdes, near Trump National Golf Course, when work resumes on the Palos Verdes Reef Restoration Project on Thursday, Aug.… Continue reading Palos Verdes Reef Restoration Project Begins Again This Week

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Can the Forests of the World’s Oceans Contribute to Alleviating the Climate Crisis?

Sixty years ago, Tasmania’s coastline was cushioned by a velvety forest of kelp so dense it would ensnare local fishers as they headed out in their boats. “We speak especially to the older generation of fishers, and they say, ‘When I was your age, this bay was so thick with kelp, we actually had to cut… Continue reading Can the Forests of the World’s Oceans Contribute to Alleviating the Climate Crisis?

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California’s Critical Kelp Forests are Disappearing in a Warming World. Can They Be Saved?

Kelp need our help. Which is why an unprecedented alliance of scientists, fishers, surfers, entrepreneurs, and experts is coming together to revive California’s vital kelp ecosystem, decimated by a warming ocean. “The California coast without kelp is like the Amazon without trees,” says Tom Ford, executive director of the Bay Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring… Continue reading California’s Critical Kelp Forests are Disappearing in a Warming World. Can They Be Saved?

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L.A. Environmental Organizations Adapt to Challenges of COVID-19

On Earth Day, the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve in West Los Angeles is typically bustling with over 100 volunteers working on restoration projects as part of an annual event held by the Friends of Ballona Wetlands (FBW) organization. However, on Earth Day this week, the wetlands sat devoid of human activity as people continued to… Continue reading L.A. Environmental Organizations Adapt to Challenges of COVID-19

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Holding Fast, or Failing? There Are Dozens of Confounding Elements Working Against Abalone Recovery on the California Coast.

For years, abalone have been in serious decline in California. While abalone shells persist, molded into sidewalk benches, nailed onto signposts, and laid on countless tribal gravestones, the animals themselves — seven species of which inhabit California waters — all continue to dwindle from their kelp forest homes. This stark reality is the result of… Continue reading Holding Fast, or Failing? There Are Dozens of Confounding Elements Working Against Abalone Recovery on the California Coast.

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Whales are dying, but numbers are unknown. Coronavirus has stalled scientific fieldwork.

As gray whales began their northern migration along the Pacific coast, earlier this month — after a year of unusually heavy die-offs — scientists were poised to watch, ready to collect information that could help them learn what was killing them.  The coronavirus outbreak, however, has largely upended that field work — and that of… Continue reading Whales are dying, but numbers are unknown. Coronavirus has stalled scientific fieldwork.

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