August2008

Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association protecting our ocean wilderness through public stewardship

	August 2008			Protecting Our Ocean Wilderness Through Public Stewardship www.farallones.org

	IN THIS ISSUE Our Sacred Coasts? Atlantic Salmon Escape 15 years and Going Strong! Endangered Spotlight: Sperm Whale Whale Watching Trips Saturday, August 23rd Saturday, September 13th Space still available for August 23rd trip! Sign up today! Looking for the perfect wedding gift for your ocean-loving friends? How about a whale watch trip for two to the Farallon Islands? Contact Adrian Skaj at 415.561.6625 x300 or askaj@farallons.org. Have you had an interesting experience in the Sanctuary? Tell us your story in 400-600 words. Send it to the editor at smarti@farallones.org. Donate to FMSA today!			Our Sacred Coasts? For those who value a healthy marine environment and clean coastal waters, the past three months have presented alarming threats and challenges. In July, President Bush unilaterally removed his father’s longstanding executive leasing ban preventing offshore drilling in sensitive waters. He then called on Congress to lift the separate 27-year congressional moratorium on new drilling rigs off of the Pacific coast, the Atlantic coast, and Florida’s Gulf Coast. Continued >> Atlantic Salmon Escape Strong ocean currents caused nearly 30,000 Atlantic salmon to escape from a net pen farm in British Columbia near the Campbell River on Canada Day, 1 July. Workers had to watch helplessly as the net pen anchor shifted and fell into a crevice, lest they be pulled in with it. The net pen system was stabilized three days later and recovery efforts only yielded about 400 salmon. Continued >> 15 years and Going Strong! The Beach Watch program is celebrating 15 years of monitoring the shorelines of the Gulf of the Farallones and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries. In 1993 the first volunteer class was trained to survey beaches for live and dead birds and marine mammals, human activity, and oil events. As we celebrate this anniversary we would like to highlight the volunteers who have dedicated 15 years to protecting the coast and its wildlife. Each month we will interview one of the five volunteers who are celebrating this milestone. Continued >> Endangered Spotlight: Sperm Whale Despite being the largest toothed animals on the planet and inhabiting all of the world’s oceans, sperm whales are seldom seen by the naked human eye. This is because they spend 90% of their lives deep underwater, searching for food in the ocean darkness. Continued >> Photo Credits: FMSA and NOAA.

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