Kelp forests, the base of marine life on the Pacific Coast, including the seafood we eat, are disappearing. The Bay Foundation’s hands-on restoration effort might be the answer. Interview with Executive Director Tom Ford. (6 min.)
Topic: Kelp
Explosion of Oregon’s Purple Sea Urchin Population
Populations of purple sea urchin have exploded up and down the West Coast, decimating kelp and crowding out other marine animals. In a recent count of one Oregon reef, the population of purple urchins was 350 million, an increase of 10,000 percent over the last five years. Shellfish biologist Scott Groth with the Oregon Department… Continue reading Explosion of Oregon’s Purple Sea Urchin Population
These Purple Creatures are Eating All Our Kelp. It’s Time to Eat Them.
There are underwater forests spanning millions of acres — but they’re rapidly dying due to climate change and an unlikely predator. Kelp forests, which are often referred to as the rainforests of the sea, play an important role in fighting climate change. Kelp, which is a type of macroalgae, is estimated to sequester 634 metric tons of… Continue reading These Purple Creatures are Eating All Our Kelp. It’s Time to Eat Them.
PODCAST: Legalizing the Other Weed (Kelp)
In Episode 81, Quinn & Brian discuss: Legalizing the weed of the sea. Our guests are Bren Smith and Tom Ford, two fine, clean-living gentleman who are out on the water, every day, trying to change the way that we eat and use the ocean to our benefit — and, more importantly, to the ocean’s… Continue reading PODCAST: Legalizing the Other Weed (Kelp)
12 Burning Questions with Tom Ford
Senior Editor Sami Leung sat down with Tom Ford, Co-Director of the Coast Research Institute, Executive Director of the Bay Foundation and a part-time faculty member teaching environmental science.
Santa Monica Bay National Estuary Program’s Action Plan for the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan – October 2018
This Action Plan is one component of the Santa Monica Bay National Estuary Program’s (SMBNEPs) Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP), with the goal of providing a long-term framework for action in the Santa Monica Bay and its watersheds. Prepared by TBF and SMBRC staff for approval by SMBNEP’s Management Conference.
Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria: Interview with TBF’s Heather Burdick
In this episode of Talk Nerdy, science journalist Cara Santa Maria is joined in studio by Heather Burdick, the Director of Marine Operations for The Bay Foundation. They talk about Heather’s Marine Program work on various projects involving research, monitoring, and ecological restoration throughout Santa Monica Bay. They specifically discuss the Palos Verdes Kelp Restoration… Continue reading Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria: Interview with TBF’s Heather Burdick
Image of the Day: Ab Lab
Disease and overharvesting have depleted the types and quantities of abalones (Haliotis rufescens) found in Santa Monica Bay. The Bay Foundation has been trying to replace the marine snails to their natural habitats since 2010. Most recently, the organization has been spawning abalones in a research laboratory with plans to reintroduce them into the kelp… Continue reading Image of the Day: Ab Lab
State Coastal Conservancy Final Report: Southern California Kelp Forest Hydrodynamics Study
Final project deliverables and findings for the Southern California Kelp Forest Hydrodynamics Study.
“Floating Forests”: Sentinels of Biodiversity (in French)
“The Amazon without trees would not be the Amazon. California without its kelp forests is no longer California.” Tom Ford, director of the Bay Foundation in Los Angeles, is not alone in spinning the Amazonian metaphor at the mention of giant kelp forests. All specialists of this wonderful brown alga dare to compare with the… Continue reading “Floating Forests”: Sentinels of Biodiversity (in French)