On October 8, 2002 MBNMS Community and Public Relations Coordinator
Rachel Saunders, SAC Administrator Nicole Capps and Management Plan
Coordinator Sean Morton met with new SAC members Fred Wendell and Paul
Reilly from the California Department of Fish and Game. MBNMS staff
provided a detailed orientation regarding the SAC and brought them up
to speed on the MBNMS 5 Year Management Plan Review.
Rachel Saunders, Community and Public Relations Coordinator, met with
Frank Degnan and Berkley White, the primary and alternate dive representatives
on the SAC, to discuss projects of mutual interest to the Sanctuary
and the dive community.
On November 13, 2002 Rachel Saunders attended a VIP reception at the
Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. Rachel made a brief presentation
about the Sanctuary and learned more about the Chamber’s.
On November 19, 2002 Rachel Saunders attended an informational briefing
in Santa Cruz for central coast journalists on "Marine Protected
Areas (MPA): Scientific Realities and Public Perceptions." The
briefing was organized by PISCO (Partnership for Interdisciplinary
Studies
of Coastal Oceans) and UC Santa Cruz and was sponsored by the Ocean
Wilderness Network, COMPASS and SeaWeb. Journalists from the San Jose
Mercury News, Santa Cruz Sentinel and Monterey County Herald attended,
along with about a dozen students of UC Santa Cruz's Science Communication
Program (many of which serve as interns for area newspapers). Agency,
conservation and fishing representatives were also in attendance as
observers. Topics included an overview of MPA planning activities on
the west coast, examples of MPA effects on conservation, ecosystems
and fisheries, marine reserve design and public attitudes towards MPA's.
Joint Management Plan Review
Sean Morton was in Hawaii from October 21-October 23 assisting
the staff of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem
Reserve
helping
to define the issues that may be addressed as part of it’s management
plan if the Reserve is designated as a Sanctuary.
On November 7, Michele Roest, Education Specialist from the San
Simeon office gave a "Sanctuary 101" presentation in Cayucos to
a group of about 50 people interested in considering changes to the
southern
MBNMS boundary. The group is forming a working group in a format similar
to the SAC to discuss three options: no change to the current status,
requesting that MBNMS move the boundary the south thereby incorporating
more of San Luis Obispo County, or creating a new marine sanctuary.
The working group was coordinated by the District Supervisor, Shirley
Bianchi, Congresswoman Lois Capp's office, World Wildlife Fund representative
Robin Robinson, and members of the community.
MBNMS Staff that will be leading SAC working groups as part of
the Joint Management Plan Review participated in a two-day workshop
in
Pescadero
on November 16 and 17. The workshop focused on developing skills
for group facilitation, meeting management, and development of
action plans.
On Friday Oct 11th, Sanctuary staff, and ten local researchers
and fishers met with NCCOS's Biogeography Team at the MBNMS office
to
review the
Sanctuary Biogeographic Assessment of Fishes and Invertebrates,
for the Joint Management Plan Review. Feedback was provided on
species
distributions,
life histories, and data sets, as related to the Habitat Suitability
Modeling and Assemblage Analyses. A final product is expected in
late
November.
Education and Outreach
Education and Outreach staff met with consultants on October 14
to determine locations and logistics for two weather kiosks
to be located
in the
Monterey and Pillar Point Harbors. Contacts have been made
to two harbors, Pillar Point and Monterey, where we intend
to install
the first two
weather kiosks. We intend to install similar kiosks at Santa
Cruz
and Moss Landing Harbors in the future.
In early October, Jen Jolly,Education Specialist, and Lisa
Emanuelson ,Resource Issue Education Specialist, attended the
GFNMS's Ocean
Fest
at Chrissy Field in the Presidio, San Francisco. A few thousand
people were treated to live music, activities for children
and MBNMS's life-size
inflatable Humpback Whale. Kids of all ages were able to explore
the
whale both inside and out.
Educations and Outreach Staff attended the two-day Morro Bay
Harbor Festival and were overwhelmed by the 20,000 attendees.
Participants
partook of activities and exhibitors representing the harbor's
history and importance to the community.
On November 7th, Rachel Saunders, Community and Public Relations
Coordinator for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary,
gave a 2-hour presentation
to the "Wild Goose Duck Fishing Club" in Carmel, CA. The
club is composed of 14 women who have gathered together annually for
24 years
to learn about various subjects. They made contact with the Sanctuary
through a recommendation from the Packard Foundation. For more information,
contact Rachel Saunders at (831) 647-4237
On November 12, Michele Roest from the San Simeon office met
with law enforcement and public safety agencies to discuss
strategies for the
upcoming elephant seal season. National Marine Fisheries Service
agent Roy Torres attended along with representatives from California
Department
of Fish and Game, State Parks, Highway Patrol, the County Sheriff's
office, Friends of the Elephant Seal and the Hearst Corporation.
The Sanctuary's TeamOCEAN Kayaker Outreach Program has wrapped
up its second successful summer field season, and expanded
this year
to include
volunteers. On weekends from June to October, Sanctuary naturalists
kayaked the waters of Monterey and Elkhorn Slough providing
information on local wildlife and the Sanctuary, along with
guidelines on
respectful wildlife viewing. A team of 4 paid staff and 9 volunteers
collectively
clocked 549 hours on the water, and reached 3,529 fellow kayakers,
with
a Sanctuary message. More information or a copy of the season
report can be obtained from Jen Jolly, Education Specialist,
at (831)
420-1630.
The MBNMS fabricated and gave three new "tide pool etiquette" signs
to the City of Pacific Grove, all for installation at Lovers
Point, a rocky shore area heavily visited by the public. A total of
nine signs
with text in English, Spanish and Vietnamese have now been
produced by the Sanctuary with support from the Monterey Bay Aquarium
and given
to Pacific Grove for installment along the shoreline.
On November 21, Jen Jolly, Education Specialist, hosted a Wildlife
Watchers' Workshop to discuss the potential collaborative development
of a waterproof
card, to be attached to kayaks and other boats, providing species
identification and natural history information on local wildlife
species, along with
tips for respectful wildlife viewing. Twenty people attended
the meeting, representing Monterey Bay area kayak shops, coastal
tour
operators,
and environmental groups. The idea was well received, and Jen
will be coordinating the card development effort.
Research and Monitoring
Chad King, SIMoN Data Analyst, recently converted the 1999
Summary of Rocky Shore Monitoring Projects in the Monterey
Bay National
Marine Sanctuary to a GIS data layer in an ongoing effort
to integrate historical
monitoring programs into the SIMoN GIS.
Sanctuary staff received the final report entitled, "A Review of
the Ecological Effectiveness of Subtidal Marine Reserves in Central
California," by Rick Starr (California Sea Grant) and others.
The report consists of two parts: 1) Synopsis of Scientific Investigations;
and 2) Summary of Existing Marine Reserves in Central California and
their Potential Benefits. Copies of the report will soon be available
for distribution. For more information contact Erica Burton, Research
Specialist, at (831) 647-4246.
From September 22-24, Steve Lonhart, SIMoN Scientist, attended
the Alliance for California Current Ecosystem Observation
(ACCEO) meeting
in Portland,
Oregon. Over 30 scientists from academia, state, and federal
agencies discussed future steps towards integrating fishery-related
and
oceanographic research efforts along the entire California
Current. Modeled after
the CalCOFI efforts in southern California, ACCEO has included
researchers from Canada and Mexico, making this an international
project to coordinate
sampling regimes at a truly broad spatial scale.
Steve Lonhart and Chad King are working with the Center
for Integrated Marine Technologies (CIMT) through UCSC
to develop
a standard
for data
integration between many real-time (such as the Wind to
Whales project) and non real-time data sources. As a part
of the
data management
committee,
they will be involved in the development of a relational
database that will allow SIMoN to disseminate data through
its web page.
Chad King and Steve Lonhart conducted kelp biomass surveys
October 8 and 9 at the Hopkins Marine Life Refuge as part
of a collaborative
effort
between SIMoN and the Center for Integrative Coastal Observation
and Research (CI-CORE). In addition, CI-CORE and Dr. Richard
Zimmerman completed
hyperspectral surveys of kelp beds along central California
(including HMLR). When combined, the hyperspectral data
and biomass estimates
should
provide a greater understanding of this important habitat.
For more information, contact Steve Lonhart at (831) 647-4222.
Kelly Newton, Research Intern, participated in the October
Wind to Whales Cruise on October 8-9. A high diversity
of marine mammals
and seabirds
was seen, including six different cetaceans in one day!
The two most
abundant seabirds were the Common Murre and the Rhinocero
Aukle. A Leatherback
Turtle was sighted in the north bay on the second day.
For more information, please contact Kelly Newton (831)
647-4204.
On October 17, Steve Lonhart, SIMoN Scientist, dove with
Gil Falcone (Monterey Bay Aquarium Assistant Dive Safety
Officer)
and other
volunteers while aboard the R/V Mako, a California Department
of Fish and Game
vessel. CDFG is in the middle of repeatedly sampling several
sections of the kelp forest in Stillwater Cove, Pebble
Beach over a 3 week
period.
By collecting data from the same area, CDFG will be able
to assess short-term temporal variability in fish densities,
sampling
error,
and differences
among observers with varying levels of experience in completing
fish surveys.
On October 24, 2002 Steve Lonhart helped UCSC students
Rich Walsh and Michelle Fuller search the floating docks
in Monterey
Harbor
for the
invasive alga Undaria pinnatifida. Rich and Michelle are
using SCUBA to collect data for a team of researchers (including
Kerstin Wasson
at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve;
Mark Carr and Craig Syms at UCSC; and Michael Graham at
Moss Landing
Marine
Laboratories)
that plan to study and eradicate the non-indigenous alga
that
is native to Japan. With the cooperation of Monterey Harbor
staff, we have been
given access to survey a random sample (n=75) of fingers
in order to create a spatially explicit map of the infestation.
Irina Kogan, MBNMS Research Fellow with MBARI and Erica
Burton, Research Specialist, participated in the side scan
survey
of the ATOC cable,
extending from Pillar Point to the Pioneer Seamount. The
3-day survey aboard MBARI's R/V Zephyr, mapped the shelf
area and
is the first
step
toward determining impacts of the cable to the sea floor
and biota.
The 83rd Annual Meeting of the Western Society of Naturalists
was held November 8 - 11 in Monterey. Steve Lonhart chaired
a session on Applied Ecology and spoke about "The Sanctuary Integrated
Monitoring Network (SIMoN): A new program at the Monterey Bay National
Marine Sanctuary. Andrew DeVogelaere is the new President
of the society for 2002 - 2003. Erica Burton, Kelly Newton,
Deirdre
Hall and
Sean Morton
also participated in the conference.
The National Sea Grant review panel has recommended that
we submit a full proposal on our project, "An Integrated Response to a New
Coastal Invasion: Monitoring and Managing Undaria in Monterey Bay".
This is a collaboration with the University of California at Santa
Cruz,
the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, the University
of California at Davis, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. For more
information,
contact Steve Lonhart, SIMoN Scientist, at (831) 647-4222.
Andrew DeVogelaere assisted the John Hopkins University
Program for Talented Youth by giving a presentation on
the Davidson
Seamount and
participating in a panel on career choices in marine science.
On November 7, a volunteer appreciation event was held
for the Sanctuary Beach COMBERS. Some volunteers have been
with
the program
for 5 years,
and have actively participated in assessing impacts of
harmful algal blooms, gillnet bycatch, and oil spills.
For more information,
contact
Andrew DeVogelaere, Research Coordinator, at (831) 647-4213.
On November 14, 2002, Sanctuary staff revisited the grounded
fishing vessel Bono just south of John Little State Reserve
in the southern
part of the Sanctuary. The F/V Bono grounded on September
9, 2001. Staff
have visited the site twice since the grounding to survey
intertidal damage. The vessel has moved from its original
grounding location
and
from its location during the March 2002 survey. The area
affected during the initial grounding seems to be recovering,
with algal
growth (turf
reds) and small mobile invertebrates (limpets, snails)
as the most common inhabitants. Mussel beds have not returned.
For
more information,
contact
Erica Burton (Research Specialist) at 831-647-4246.
The MBNMS hosted the Research Activities Panel (RAP) on
November 15. After an overview of MBNMS programs, the RAP
began the
selection process
of Sanctuary Currents Ricketts Lecture and Science Award
selections; developed a working group to address research
permits in the
Management Plan revision process; accepted a draft letter
from the RAP chair,
advising
the MBNMS staff on research associated with cruise ships;
and received updates on half a dozen other projects.
Resource Protection
The Monterey Bay Sanctuary Citizen Watershed Monitoring
Network coordinated the third annual First Flush monitoring
event,
which took place during
the first storm of the season on Thursday, November
7th. More than 50
volunteers collected storm water samples at 19 locations
around the Monterey Bay. Sixty sets of samples were
collected including
bacteria,
nitrate, orthophosphate, copper, zinc, lead, total
dissolved solids, total suspended solids, oil and grease, and
toxicity.
Articles
appeared in the Monterey Herald (11/7/02) and Santa
Cruz Sentinel (11/8/02)
newspapers,
Bridget Hoover appeared on KSBW-TV (11/7/02), and Rachel
Saunders participated in a radio interview on KCBS
(San Francisco) which
aired several times
on 11/9/02. The Coast Weekly newspaper is doing an
article on the event on 11/14/02. For more information, contact
Bridget Hoover,
Network Coordinator
(831) 883-9303.
The State's Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control
Board announced a proposed civil liability settlement
of 5 million
dollars (!) with
Pacific Gas and Electric for permit violations over
a 20-year period related to discharge of heated cooling
water at
their Moss Landing
power
plant. The settlement, if finalized at the Board's
December
meeting, will go to fund environmental projects, including
$2.8 million
for on-the-ground
non-point source implementation projects under the
Sanctuary's Agriculture Plan, and $950,000 for water
quality monitoring
in association with
the projects. The many partners in the Agricultural
Plan will apply for funding to the Community Foundation
for
Monterey County to
expand their work. Great news for MBNMS, and it occurred
by
the State taking
the lead to identify this plan as their preferred project.
For information contact Katie Siegler, Agricultural
Water Quality Coordinator at
(831)
647-4219.
Holly Price, Resource Protection Coordinator, and Huff
McGonigal, Environmental Policy Specialist, participated
as a member
of the first meeting of
the Monterey Regional Workgroup for the state's Marine
Life Protection Act, convened by the California Department
of
Fish and Game to
make recommendations on the establishment of MPA's
in state waters on
the
central coast. The group, which plans to meet regulary
over the next two years, includes representatives from
environmental
groups,
diving,
recreational and commercial fishing, scientists and
local communities. The degree of success of this group
will
be an important factor
in how
MBNMS addresses marine reserves in its Management Plan
Review.
A Steering Committee Meeting of the California Department
of Transportation's Coast Highway Management Plan reviewed
a recently released draft of the plan and accompanying guidelines for
landslide
management.
Although
the draft
represents a
good start, MBNMS staff relayed significant remaining
concerns
about the conditions described for ocean disposal,
and are scheduling a
follow-up
meeting to craft revised language. For more information,
contact Holly Price at (831) 647-4247.
LT Joe Scarpa from the FKNMS Enforcement Team visited
MBNMS to exchange information with MBNMS enforcement
partners
on enforcement
methods
and
organization. He gave presentations to enforcement
personnel and MBNMS staff, assisted with a permit inspection
dive,
and participated
in marine
patrols aboard several large and small enforcement
vessels. For more information, contact Scott Kathey
at (831) 647-4251.
Katie Siegler led a meeting of the Farm Bureau Water
Quality Monitoring Technical Advisory Committee to
finalize protocols
and parameters
of
long-term water quality monitoring, and to document
agricultural water quality protection practices in
the Sanctuary's
watersheds. The meeting
was attended by Farm Bureau representatives, Regional
Water Quality Control Board staff, agricultural agency
staff,
university researchers,
and Resource Conservation District staff. For more
information, contact Katie Siegler at (831) 647-4219.
The Citizen Watershed Monitoring Network organized
the quarterly Monterey County Watershed Information
Exchange
on Thursday,
September 19th. The
event was hosted by the Agricultural Land-based Training
Association (ALBA). The Exchange included a tour of
the Triple M ranch
in which various Best Management Practices were demonstrated,
and
a discussion
on practical ways growers and land managers can prepare
for the rainy season. Contact Bridget Hoover, Network
Coordinator, for
more information
(831) 883-9303.
On Tuesday, September 24th, the Citizen Watershed Monitoring
Network organized a training for the First Flush water
quality monitoring
event.
During the first major rain of the season, volunteers
will collect samples of urban runoff from 19 storm
drain outfalls
throughout
Monterey Bay.
The samples will be analyzed in a laboratory for E.
coli, nitrate, orthophosphate, zinc, copper, lead,
oil and
grease, TDS, TSS,
and toxicity. Contact
Bridget Hoover, Network Coordinator, for more information
(831) 883-9303.
On September 26, staff from the Research and Resource
Protection teams attended a presentation at the Elkhorn
Slough National
Estuarine Research
Reserve (ESNERR) on marine invasive species. Agencies,
non-profits, and stakeholder representatives were invited
as part of an
effort to
form an early warning network that identifies invasive
species before they become established in the area.
The premise of
the workshop
was
that once these species get established it's too late
and that we must eradicate them as they arrive. The
effort was coordinated
by
the ESNERR
Research Coordinator in partnership with the Sanctuary.
For more information, contact Holly Price at (831)
647-4247.
On October 2, the Pacific Grove City Council passed
a resolution supporting a voluntary no-discharge commitment
within the
MBNMS from visiting
cruise
ships. Lisa de Marignac, Management Support Specialist,
provided testimony in favor of the resolution. Pacific
Grove is one
of a growing list
of
government agencies passing similar resolutions and/or
writing to the State’s cruise ship task force, requesting that the State designate
the MBNMS a no-discharge zone for cruise ships. On October 9, Crystal
Cruises’ Crystal Harmony is scheduled to make a port call in
Monterey. This is the third and last currently scheduled cruise ship
visit for
this year. MBNMS staff will monitor the cruise ship while it is in
Monterey Bay, and Lisa Emanuelson (Education Team) will be boarding
the ship
the prior evening in San Francisco to give a naturalist presentation
to passengers, en route to the MBNMS.
Resource Protection Team staff met with the City of
Monterey and the City of Pacific Grove to outline a
joint proposal
to conduct
infrastructure
improvements to reduce beach closures and postings,
and to conduct genetic analyses on coliform bacteria
to identify
anthropogenic and wildife
sources of beach contamination. For information contact
Holly
Price, Resource Protection Coordinator, at (831) 647-4247.
On October 9, Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Harmony made their scheduled
port call in Monterey. This is the third and last currently scheduled
cruise ship visit for this year. MBNMS staff monitored the cruise ship
while it was in Monterey Bay for the day, including taking water samples
from a continuous discharge which the captain of the Crystal Harmony
claimed was cooling water; tests results have revealed no pollutants
so far. Lisa Emanuelson (Education Team) gave a general Sanctuary presentation
to about 15-20 passengers, while the ship was en route to the MBNMS.
A presentation was given to the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Oceanography Club, with approximately 60 high school
students and adults
in attendance. The evening's focus was about water
quality and monitoring.
The students
will participate in the upcoming National Water Monitoring
Day event. For more information contact Bridget Hoover,
Sanctuary Citizen Watershed
Monitoring Network Coordinator (831) 883-9303.
MBNMS provided testimony at a public meeting on the
potential of a desalination plant to be constructed
in Moss Landing,
to support
the concept of a
regional facility which mixes the brine discharge with
an existing discharge of cooling water.
The Monterey Bay Sanctuary Citizen Watershed Monitoring
Network is promoting the National Water Monitoring
Day event, which
celebrates the 30th Anniversary
of the Clean Water Act on October 18th. Local volunteers
will join volunteers throughout the county in sampling
the quality
of streams,
lakes and
coastal waters and will enter their data into a national
databank at the Year of Clean Water Web site at: www.yearofcleanwater.org.
For more
information contact Bridget Hoover, Sanctuary Citizen
Watershed Monitoring
Network Coordinator, at (831) 883-9303.
The Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries
met with MBNMS staff at the office on Oct. 17, after
a hiatus
during
the peak summer
fishing season. The group reviewed the status of the
state's reserve effort under the Marine Life Protection
Act, and
responded to a
presentation from Holly Price, Resource Protection
Coordinator, on fisheries-related
and reserve topics to be addressed in the Management
Plan Review. The
group agreed that they will be developing reserve policy-level
recommendations to transmit to both the MBNMS reserve
workgroup and the state's regional
group, rather than selecting specific reserve sites.
This should provide
a useful ongoing forum to exchange information and
views with the fishing community. For more information,
contact
Holly
Price at
(831) 647-4247.
MBNMS staff worked with the Monterey Bay Sanctuary
Foundation and the cities of Pacific Grove and Monterey
to develop
and submit a Foundation
proposal for state Prop. 40 funds which would address
frequent beach closures and postings due to elevated
levels of coliform
bacteria.
The
$1.8 million proposal, if funded, would provide funding
to the cities for replacement of cracked and leaking
pipelines in Monterey,
a video
diagnostic assessment of Pacific Grove's aging pipelines,
and for
the
Foundation to conduct a genetic analysis of coliform
to separate
anthropogenic and wildlife sources. For more information,
contact Huff McGonigal at
(831) 647-4254.
The Monterey Bay Sanctuary Citizen Watershed Monitoring
Network Coordinator gave a presentation at a watershed
workshop hosted
by Greenspace
in
Cambria. Approximately 90 people attended the workshop
which was organized to inform locals about issues affecting
the
Santa Rosa
Creek watershed.
For more information contact Bridget Hoover, Network
Coordinator (831) 883-9303.
A 22-foot pleasure boat capsized in the surf line off
Pescadero State Beach on October 30. There were no
fatalities. The
vessel broke up
and
contained approximately 30 gallons of gasoline onboard.
Sanctuary enforcement officers are investigating the
incident. For
more information, contact
Scott Kathey at (831) 647-4251.
Scott Kathey, Regulatory Coordinator, and Michele Roest,
Education and Outreach Specialist, have initiated discussions
with State
Parks officials
in San Simeon about potential part-time funding of
a park ranger to assist with Sanctuary enforcement
in the
southern
reaches
of the Sanctuary.
For more information, contact Scott Kathey at (831)
647-4251.
The California Boating and Waterways Commission held
a workshop in Monterey on the role of MBNMS in dredge
disposal, fishing and reserves, coastal erosion and other harbor-related
issues. Holly Price,
Resource Protection
Coordinator,
gave an overview on these issues, followed by presentations
from four
local harbormasters. Several areas of shared interests
were identified with the commission and harbormasters,
including
improved prevention
and response to small vessel groundings, potential
utilization of harbor
patrols for MBNMS enforcement, water quality, and better
regulations for MPWC. The harbormasters spoke of their
concerns regarding
dredge disposal, which they wish to be addressed in
the JMPR, including
flexibility
on disposal volumes, locations and grain size. For
more information, contact Holly at (831) 647-4247.
The MBNMS recently forwarded investigation requests
to NOAA OLE for 3 boat sinkings/groundings, 2 municipal
raw sewage
discharges,
and
entanglement
of seabirds in a net pen. The MBNMS Dive Team assisted
NOAA OLE in the investigation of alleged seabird entanglement
in the floating
net pen
anchored within the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary has increased
its requests
to the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG)
to assist
in these
investigations, and they have conducted the initial
investigative
work on all but 1 of the above cases. For information
contact Scott Kathey,
Regulatory Coordinator at (831) 647-4251.
Scott Kathey attended a planning meeting of trustee
agencies in Oakland on November 14 to develop Damage
Assessment
and Restoration claims
to
the Coast Guard Fund Center related to oil releases
from the sunken
vessel SS Jacob Luckenbach. Damage assessment claims
are expected to
total several hundred thousand dollars. Restoration
plans are still very preliminary pending additional
information
from
the damage
assessment phase. For information contact Scott at
(831) 647-4247.
With the receipt this week of a long awaited contract
from the state to the Sanctuary Foundation, Katie Siegler,
Agricultural
Water Quality
Coordinator, has begun management of the Pescadero/Butano
Watershed Assessment funded by the State Water Resources
Control Board.
The assessment
will identify sediment sources and transport mechanisms
in two
watersheds in San Mateo County, as well as monitoring
and installation of agricultural
best management practices on local farmland. For more
information, contact
Katie at (831) 647-4219.
On November 19, Deirdre Hall, Permit Coordinator, met
with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans),
to discuss recent storm damage of Highway 1 along the Big Sur Coast
and their
plans
for a different
type
of coastline
armoring strategy. A site visit was made along critical beaches
to observe areas of potential future needs. Michele Roest,
Education Specialist,
joined the latter half of the meeting to become familiar
with activities that are occurring in the southern
reaches of the
Sanctuary.
On November 21, a helicopter crashed on Zmudowski Beach.
Surprisingly, there were no fatalities. Many agencies
responded to the event,
including the Sanctuary. The helicopter was reported
to be flying at 500-750
feet
above sea level within an MBNMS overflight restriction
zone. Originally it was thought that fuel was leaking
into the
surf, but that proved
to be incorrect, as the fuel was contained inside the
aircraft. The salvage operator was successfully able
to remove all
evidence of
the crash by attaching the helicopter to the back of
his truck and essentially "skiing" it
off the beach. For more information contact Deirdre Hall, Permit Coordinator,
at (831) 647-4207.
Special Events
Huff McGonigal, Environmental Policy Specialist, traveled
to Galveston Texas to represent the MBNMS at the
10th anniversary celebration
of
the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
on October 19th. The event was a celebratory dinner followed
by exhibits
in Moody
Gardens
Aquarium. It was attended by two hundred participants
including headquarters and regional site staff.
For more information,
contact Huff McGonigal
at (831)647-4254.
Eight MBNMS staff delivered presentations, posters,
or lead panels at the California and the World
Ocean Conference
on
October 28-30
in Santa
Barbara. Presented topics included the joint management
plan review, history and future of Sanctuary efforts,
water quality
management,
citizen
watershed monitoring, cultural resources, Davidson's
Seamount and desalination plants. The education
team staffed our
MBNMS exhibit
throughout the
conference.
Andrew DeVogelaere and Scott Kathey participated
in the NMS Small Boats Planning Workshop on November
12
- 13.
The group
agreed
to proceed with
a working group on the needed programmatic development
of a system wide small boats initiative. For more
information, Andrew
DeVogelaere
at
(831) 647-4213 or Scott Kathey at (831) 647-4251.
Julie Barrow, Education and Outreach Specialist,
coordinated and staffed an NMSP display for the
130th anniversary
of Pigeon Point
Lighthouse
with MBNMS, GFNMS, and CBNMS. The NMSP and Save
Our Shores were the only two groups exhibiting
at this
event. For
more information,
contact
Julie Barrow at (650) 712-8909.
Significant News Coverage
“Festival marks bay sanctuary's 10th year” AP, Santa Crzu
Sentinel, 9/22/02.
“Thousands join coastal, inland cleanup” Laura Wides, AP,
Santa Cruz Sentinel, 9/22/02.
“Ocean commission finds serious marine threats from pollution,
growth” by John Heilprin, AP, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 9/23/02.
"Local marine researchers join effort to install undersea cable
network" Brian Seals, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 9/24/02.
"Sea minus; Ten years after the creation of the Monterey Bay National
Marine Sanctuary, things are getting worse" Andrew Scutro, Coast
Weekly, 9/26/02.
"Tide turns against large fishing fleets" by Michael L. Weber,
Monterey County Herald, 10/2/02.
“Shock to Duke power: Judge orders another study of cooling system;
activists applaud decision” by Dennis Moran, Monterey County
Herald, 10/4/02.
“Judge orders reconsideration of Duke Energy permits” by
Brian Seals, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 10/5/02.
“NOAA fines three area fishermen for filing false reports” by Brian Seals,
Santa Cruz Sentinel, 10/10/02.
“Testing the Waters; Environmentalists try to keep cruise lines honest” by
Dan Laidman, The Monterey County Herald, 10/10/02.
"Least wanted list; protecting the bay from non-native invaders" by
Emily
Singer, The Monterey County Herald, 10/13/02
.
"Seaweed mystery solved" by Milos Radakovich, The Monterey County Herald,
10/13/02.
“Motorized crafts mot enjoyed by all” by Ben Marcus, Santa
Cruz Sentinel, 10/20/02.
“National Water Monitoring Day observed Friday on the bay” The Monterey
County Herald, 10/17/02.
“Volunteers monitor water quality” by Robin Krieger Mejia,
The Monterey County Herald, 10/19/02.
“Changing channels; Army Corps of Engineers dredges Moss Landing
Harbor” by Robin Krieger-Mejia, The Monterey
County Herald, 10/22/02.
“BAY NET seeking volunteers for training” The Monterey County
Herald, 10/26/02.
“Report warns of overfishing; New policies needed, Panetta says.” by
Helen Fields, The Monterey County Herald, 10/29/02.
“Friends
of the Elephant Seal”,
by Joan Crowder, The Sun Bulletin, 10/30/02
“Meeting Set to Mull Marine Sanctuary”, by Kathe Tanner,
The Cambrian, 10/31/02
“Environmentalist Puts Portraits of the Coastline on the Web” The
San Luis Obispo Tribune, 11/3/02
"Tide turns against large fishing fleets" by Michael L. Weber,
Monterey County Herald, 10/2/02.
“Shock to Duke power: Judge orders another study of cooling system;
activists applaud decision” by Dennis
Moran, Monterey County Herald, 10/4/02.
“Judge orders reconsideration of Duke Energy permits” by
Brian Seals, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 10/5/02.
Volunteers set for First Flush" by Kate Ramsayer, The Monterey
County Herald, 11/7/02.
“Sanctuary Status Workshop Set for Cayucos Today” by Kathe
Tanner, The Cambrian, 11/7/02.
"Sanctuary Seeks Members for Advisory Council" Santa Cruz
Sentinel, 11/8/02.
"Volunteers Roll Out to Test 'First Flush' From Streams" by
Brian Seals, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 11/8/02.
"Marine Sanctuary Seeks Advisory Council Applicants" The Monterey
County Herald, 11/11/02.
"Cable may be laid in bay; 'New window' into ocean" by Emily
Singer, The Monterey County Herald, 11/12/02.
“Activitists Studying Marine Sanctuary”, by David Sneed,
The San Luis Obispo Tribune, 11/12/02.
"Clean Water Act: During winter's first storm, citizens fan out
to monitor runoff for pollutants" Coast Weekly,
11/14/02.
"Pajaro Watershed Institute educates local students" (about
MERITO), Register-Pajaronian, 11/14/02.
"Expand bans on fishing" New York Times Editorial, The Monterey
County Herald, 11/15/02.
"Navy reduces sonar testing" by David Kravets, The Monterey
County Herald, 11/16/02.
“Learning Odyssey; O'Neill takes 20,000th student on deep-sea
adventure” by Brian Seals, Santa Cruz Sentinel,
11/17/02.
“Sailboat runs aground; Harbor Patrol stages rescue, no one injured” Santa
Cruz Sentinel, 11/18/02.
“Expert says Alaskan sea otters face different sort of problem” by
Brian Seals, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 11/19/02.
“Crab surplus keeps fishermen in, sends prices down” Santa
Cruz Sentinel, 11/22/02.
“Scientists discuss marine reserves” by Brian Seals, Santa
Cruz Sentinel, 11/21/02.
“UCSC gets cash for bay research center” by Brian Seals,
Santa Cruz Sentinel, 11/21/02.
“Oil spill accident waiting to happen” Editorial, Santa
Cruz Sentinel, 11/22/02.
