California’s underwater kelp forests have suffered a devastating decline. Now, the race is on to save them before it’s too late. Watch CNN’s Special Report on how an army of purple urchins has decimated these ecosystems, threatening the marine life that depends on them and the ocean’s ability to help fight climate change.
Topic Category: Climate Change
Manhattan Beach Dune Restoration Project: Restoration and Monitoring Plan
The Manhattan Beach Dune Restoration Project aims to restore approximately three acres of sandy coastal habitats located adjacent to Bruce’s Beach in Manhattan Beach by utilizing existing sediments to transform a portion of the current beach into a sustainable coastal strand and foredune habitat complex with resilience to SLR. This report details the project’s restoration… Continue reading Manhattan Beach Dune Restoration Project: Restoration and Monitoring Plan
Los Angeles Living Shoreline Project Restoration and Monitoring Plan for Beach and Bluff Habitat
An update on the Los Angeles Living Shoreline Project (LA-LSP), the purpose of which is to create an innovative multi-habitat living shoreline at Dockweiler State Beach. The project aims to restore approximately four acres of sandy beach and coastal bluff habitat and implement a pilot restoration to establish adjacent offshore eelgrass within a 1-acre footprint.
Santa Monica Bay National Estuary Program Comprehensive Monitoring Program – April 2021
The Santa Monica Bay region needs a Comprehensive Monitoring Program (CMP) to inform the community and interested stakeholders on the status and trends of the condition of key habitats. The purpose of the CMP is to provide a framework to use monitoring data to inform managers, practitioners, and the public on conditions and trends that… Continue reading Santa Monica Bay National Estuary Program Comprehensive Monitoring Program – April 2021
Bay Foundation Fights Beach Degradation with the Power of Plants
One might not think much of a ragweed plant, but this sand growing species and others like it have the ability to fight erosion, protect from sea level rise, and increase biodiversity — pretty impressive for a little shrub. The Santa Monica-based Bay Foundation is capitalizing on the power of coastal plants to help fight… Continue reading Bay Foundation Fights Beach Degradation with the Power of Plants
Bay Foundation Hopes Plants Hold the Key for Dune Restoration
The Malibu Living Shoreline Project, with The Bay Foundation non-profit as lead agency, aims to restore approximately three acres of dune habitat at Zuma Beach and Westward Beach (agencies call it Point Dume Beach). The theory is that Malibu’s sand dunes can be brought back from their current degraded condition simply by getting rid of… Continue reading Bay Foundation Hopes Plants Hold the Key for Dune Restoration
LMU Coastal Research Institute Tackles Coastal Resilience to Climate Change
Launched in the fall of 2017, the Loyola Marymount University Coastal Research Institute (CRI) is making inroads into understanding how climate change is impacting the Santa Monica Bay and local coastal waters. CRI is a collaboration between LMU Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering and The Bay Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 1990… Continue reading LMU Coastal Research Institute Tackles Coastal Resilience to Climate Change
Malibu Living Shoreline Project: Supplemental Project Plan – Signage, Fencing, & Symbolic Pathways
This document was drafted as a supplemental permit requirement to provide additional detail on the installation of specific project elements as part of the Malibu Living Shoreline Project (MLSP).
Santa Monica’s Natural Dune Restoration Project Celebrates 4 Years
To improve the biodiversity and resilience of Santa Monica’s beaches, and to address potential impacts of sea level rise, the City of Santa Monica partnered with The Bay Foundation to pilot a Natural Dune Beach Restoration Project in 2016 near Annenberg Community Beach House in the North Beach area. The project has brought back a… Continue reading Santa Monica’s Natural Dune Restoration Project Celebrates 4 Years
Santa Monica Beach Restoration Pilot Project – Year 4 Report
This report summarizes activities for the Santa Monica Beach Restoration Pilot Project from December 2015 through August 2020. The restoration was implemented in two phases over the course of two weeks in December 2016, including the installation of fencing and seeding of native coastal strand vegetation species. For details on the implementation efforts and prior… Continue reading Santa Monica Beach Restoration Pilot Project – Year 4 Report