IN THIS ISSUE

Turn The Tide:  Protect Marine Wildlife From The Dangers Of Plastic

Taking The Pulse Of The Sanctuary Aboard the McArthur II: A Research Cruise

Sanctuary Explorers Camp: A New Generation Of Sanctuary Stewards

Wildlife Spotlight:
Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncates )

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Have you seen a whale this summer?  Come join FMSA on one of their Whale Watching Trips in the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary on Friday, August 25 or Sunday, September 17.  Trips are $85 or $78 for members.  Spaces are limited and fill up quickly.  For more information or to register email Adrianne at askaj@farallones.org or call 415.561.6625 x300.

Experience the beauty and mystery of sea kayaking with FMSA September 2nd at Drake's Estero Paddle. CLICK HERE for the full schedule of kayaking trips. For more information and registration, call the Visitor Center at 415-561-6625 ext 310.

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, 9:30am -12pm.  For more information call Joanne Mohr at 415.561.6625 x307 or email her at jmohr@farallones.org.

Join the oceanographic research vessel White Holly in an exploration of one of the world's most diverse ecosystems in a 2 day, overnight intensive Gulf of the Farallones Research Course.  There will be two sessions, August 26-27 and October 14-15.  Please call 707.552.6053 for more information or to enroll.

Elkhorn Slough Safari offers specialty tours in the Elkhorn Slough, which is part of a National Estuarine Reserve.  Sea otters and birds abound.  They will be offering among other trips an Otter Focus Tour on Sunday, September 10.  For more information or to make a reservation call 831.633.5555.

Jennifer Stock, education and outreach coordinator for the Cordelll Bank National Marine Sanctuary is host to Ocean Currents, a new radio show that explores the amazing science and mystery that marine biologists are finding in our ocean and sanctuaries.  Ocean Currents is broadcast every 4th Monday from 1-2pm.  The next show will be on Monday, August 28.  You can listen live at www.KWMR.org.

Have you found a green drift card? Help NOAA conduct their research on ocean currents and pollutants by reporting the location of any found drift cards at www.safeseas.noaa.gov and go to Report a Drift Card.  Whoever returns the most drift cards and reports them will win a tide pool exploration excursion with NOAA naturalist, Carol Preston and two Aquarium of the Bay passes.  Please return all drift cards to the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center.  Contest deadline is Noon, Friday, September 15.

SAVE THE DATE

FMSA's annual Oceanfest will be held Saturday, October 7 from 11-4pm.  Come enjoy gourmet food, music, beer, kids activities and fun at this FREE event!!!

 

Turn The Tide:  Protect Marine Wildlife From The Dangers Of Plastic

Want to make a difference in the health of the ocean? Join the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association for the 22nd Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day at Crissy Field Beach in the Presidio.  A barbecue at our office on Crissy Field will follow this event from noon to 2 pm. Come meet the FMSA staff, our Presidio neighbors and members of the board of trustees as we learn about the dangers of this human-induced threat to the marine environment.

California Coastal Cleanup Day is the premier volunteer event focused on the marine environment in the country. Last year, more than 50,000 volunteers turned out to more than 700 cleanup sites statewide to conduct what has been hailed by the Guinness Book of World Records as "the world’s largest garbage collection endeavor" (1993).  Continued >>

Taking The Pulse Of The Sanctuary Aboard The McArthur II: 

A Research Cruise

I was fortunate enough to sail the high seas as part of a 10-day research cruise aboard the McArthur II.  As a member of the wildlife observations team, I spent the daylight hours documenting birds and marine mammals.  Our transect lines took us through Cordell Bank, Gulf of the Farallones, and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries to identify areas of species richness and link them with physical parameters. 

The best time of day was at dawn, arriving on the flying bridge (a viewing platform on the top deck) when everything was calm and quiet. Continued >>

Sanctuary Explorers Camp:  A Generation Of Sanctuary Stewards

On a crisp morning, the fog barely rolling off the Golden Gate Bridge, a group of campers from a San Francisco Recreation and Parks center tumble out of their van and into the Sanctuary offices’ parking lot. They are full of energy, chatting and roughhousing before facing the instructors. They are visibly nervous at encountering new faces, but cover it easily by talking with friends, and reluctantly circle up with us, slowly warming up while we play a simple introductory name game. Some children crave the spotlight while others shun it, but all of our new campers will emerge as Sanctuary Stewards by the end of the week.  Continued >>

Wildlife Spotlight: Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncates )

Acrobats Of The Ocean

Friendly.  Playful.  Curious.  Intelligent.  Fun-loving.  These descriptions come quickly to mind when people think of the Bottlenose dolphin.  The scientific name of this species is Tursiops truncates. The name that is probably familiar to most of us, when thinking of the Bottlenose dolphin is Flipper, a precious pet dolphin that starred in a popular television series in the 1960’s.  The Bottlenose dolphin is probably one of the most well known and is the most common of all dolphin species.  Continued >>