IN THIS ISSUE

Join the LiMPETS Network

Restoring Bolinas Lagoon

Jet Ski Patrols Are Allowed at Mavericks

Thank You to Our Funders

Donate to FMSA today!

 

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May 13-August 9
A special exhibit at the Stinson Beach public library of Emmeline Craig's work will feature the Bolinas Lagoon and the seashore of Stinson Beach. 10% of the proceeds from this exhibition will be donated to FMSA.

 

May 26, 7-9 pm
Kathy Koontz presents: Entanglements - Large and Small at The Bay Model Visitor Center
What do adrenalin and patience or whaling and rescue have in common? They are related to capturing marine mammals with entanglements and removing those entanglements. This presentation will highlight disentanglements of whales and sea lions in our local waters. For more information, please see the American Cetacean Society: SF Chapter Website.

 

June 2, 7pm-8:30
Seabirds in Our Marine Sanctuaries
Free Lecture - SF REI
Mai Maheigan of the Seabird Protection Network will introduce you to the variety of seabirds and other marine wildlife, which are protected in our local national marine sanctuaries-Cordell Banks, Gulf of the Farallones, and Monterey Bay. Visit REI's website for more information.

 

Visitor Center Programs
All programs: 10-12, 1-3
Registration required! Contact Peter Winch to register. Or register from our website.

 

June 11
Creature Feature
Creature Feature is a hands-on marine science program for 4 – 8 year olds and their families at the Gulf of the Farallones Visitor Center.

 

June 18
Cephapalooza! a Squid Spectacular [Back by Popular Demand]
Obsessed by octopuses? Intrigued by ink? Tickled by tentacles? Delve into the watery world of cephalopods! Watch squid and octopus films. Learn about Humboldt squid adaptations through our naturalist led dissection. Make your own Humboldt squid print with the assistance of our guest printmakers.

 

June 25
Salmonopolis is an exciting exploration of salmon through film, dissection, and printmaking. Participants get to view film, observe a guided chinook salmon dissection, as well as make their own fish print! Designed for 6 – 106 year old ocean enthusiasts.

 

Marine Science Private Event for Children
Host an event in one of the most stunning locations in the Presidio— overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island.

Our Visitor Center Naturalist will lead your group of children in a catch and release fishing exploration of crabs from our pier classroom as well as a guided tour of the Gulf of the Farallones Visitor Center (including a special feeding of the animals!) This unique program includes the use of our pier classroom for your private group. We offer a limited number of these extraordinary events.

Registration required by contacting: Peter Winch (415) 561-6625 x310

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Join the LiMPETS Network

In March 2011, federal budget cuts resulted in the elimination of a NOAA Educational Grant program that supported our LiMPETS funding for the next 3 years. This cut amounts to a significant reduction of the LiMPETS budget. We need your support now to help this community citizen science program thrive. You can join the LiMPETS network by making a donation to FMSA today. Using our online donation page, you can become a member or make a general contribution and your gift will be used to support the LiMPETS program.

LiMPETS (Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students) is a citizen science program that connects students, teachers and the commununity to the ocean. This program was developed to provide authentic, hands-on coastal monitoring experiences that empower teachers, students, and the community to conduct real science and become stewards of the ocean.

Students, teachers and volunteers are monitoring the shores of our National Marine Sanctuaries in California. These citizen scientists are providing resource managers with critical data to protect our coastal ocean ecosystems.

FMSA is a vital partner in the LiMPETS network. In addition to coordinating monitoring activities in the San Francisco Bay region, FMSA supports the statewide LiMPETS network by leading the development of curriculum, website, database interface, training materials, teacher workshops, and other crucial infrastructure pieces that let the LiMPETS project easily be adopted and replicated throughout the region.

Students participating in LiMPETS develop an understanding and interest in the scientific process not found in the traditional classroom setting. The program inspires students to think critically about scientific data and fosters a strong sense of stewardship for the ocean. Getting wet and sandy at the beach, handling live animals, taking careful and accurate measurements is not for everyone. But for some, this is an experience of a lifetime. Some students develop a new love for science. Others develop a lasting connection with the ocean. For more information, please visit the LiMPETS website.

 

Restoring Bolinas Lagoon

Bolinas Lagoon was designated a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention in 1998. The Lagoon’s complex ecosystems provide rich habitat for shorebirds, waterfowl, fish and invertebrates, and special status species. For years, community members along with state, federal, and local organizations have been working together to develop and implement restoration projects for protecting this unique and vulnerable habitat.

On May 11th community members from the Bolinas/Stinson area attended a Town Hall meeting coordinated by Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary in partnership with the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association on the status and future of these restoration projects. Marin County, US Army Corps of Engineers, Caltrans, and Bodgea Marine Laboratory gave presentations on current restoration topics including upcoming Highway 1 roadwork, invasive species removal, and oil spill response planning. Presentations were followed by a question and answer period.

The meeting was a huge success and a great way to keep the community informed on restoration efforts for Bolinas Lagoon. To read more about the Town Hall meeting, and learn about the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary’s Bolinas Lagoon Program, please visit the Sanctuary website or contact Kate Bimrose, the Bolinas Lagoon Project Coordinator, at kbimrose@farallones.org.

Remember, restoration projects like those developed for Bolinas Lagoon need your support! In addition to becoming a FMSA member, you can stay informed and involved by visiting the FMSA website and reading about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and action alerts to help restore Bolinas Lagoon.

 

Jet Ski Patrols Are Allowed at Mavericks
Paul Michel and Maria Brown

Santa Cruz Sentinel, 03/27/2011

The tragic loss of a respected big wave surfer has again brought into focus the incredible force that the Pacific Ocean unleashes at Mavericks, and has deepened the discussion about how humans relate to such a place. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which administers Gulf of the Farallones and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries, is frequently mentioned in these discussions because of its mission to protect marine resources, and because this mission inter-relates with other activities, including the use of motorized personal watercraft "MPWC," also commonly referred to as "Jet Skis".

Because of their extraordinary speed and maneuverability, MPWCs have a unique capacity to endanger marine birds and mammals, and their use is regulated within the sanctuaries. Unfortunately, the mere presence of MPWCs does not guarantee complete safety, as this tragedy and another drowning in 2007 during a big break at Ghost Trees, off Pebble Beach, proved. In both cases, several MPWCs were operating in the area.

Nonetheless, NOAA has deliberately crafted its regulations to allow public safety agencies unrestricted use of MPWCs for surf rescue and patrol. Lifeguards, fire fighters, sheriffs, harbor patrol officers and other public safety agency professionals are specifically authorized by NOAA to use MPWCs to train, patrol, and rescue surfers or anyone else in distress anywhere in sanctuary waters using agency staff or Advertisement volunteers.

For many years, volunteers staffed an effective surf rescue team in Pacific Grove, under the supervision and oversight of the local fire department. Some sanctuary staff members participated as volunteers on the team.

If there is a desire to make arrangements where public safety agencies would train, supervise, and oversee volunteer MPWC safety patrols at Mavericks, NOAA would cooperate with such a plan, since sanctuary regulations already allow such arrangements. Such volunteer efforts would require oversight and support from a public safety agency, the surfing community, and the public.

NOAA regulations also currently allow use of MPWCs by anyone at Mavericks during High Surf Warning conditions from December through February, regardless of whether their objective is safety, photography, tow surfing, or any other activity. This time-window is deliberately set to avoid impacting seasonal marine mammal pupping and breeding activities at important wildlife areas immediately adjacent to Mavericks. Federally protected local species include harbor seals, sea otters, gray whales and a variety of seabirds vulnerable to unrestricted use of MPWCs.

Each year, millions of people enjoy and interact with local national marine sanctuaries, engaging in a range of activities, including diving, fishing, boating, swimming and surfing. Some activities are inherently more dangerous than others, and unfortunately the ocean claims a number of lives each year in these sanctuaries. And while personal responsibility must guide everyone's decision to interact with the Pacific Ocean, NOAA will continue to support the activities of public safety agencies to reduce risk of injury and loss of life anywhere within sanctuary waters.

Paul Michel is superintendent of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Maria Brown, is superintendent of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. A description of NOAA's regulations concerning MPWC use at Mavericks can be found at http://montereybay.noaa.gov/intro/mp/mavericks.html.

 

Thank You to Our Funders

Despite today's tumultuous financial climate, several funders have stepped up their contributions to the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association. We appreciate that in difficult times, funders invest in programs that they believe are important to continue. We would like to thank the following supporters for their generous grants:

-Autodesk, Inc.
-Bernice Barbour Foundation
-Bolinas Lagoon Foundation
-California Coastal Commission: Whale Tail Grants Program
-California SeaGrant
-Cisco Foundation
-Firedoll Foundation
-Gant Family Foundation
-PADI Foundation
-Patagonia
-San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and their Families
-Sidney Stern Memorial Trust
-Thomas J. Long Foundation

A special thank you to our individual donors and members. Every gift makes a difference and we could not continue our programs without your support!