For years, abalone have been in serious decline in California. While abalone shells persist, molded into sidewalk benches, nailed onto signposts, and laid on countless tribal gravestones, the animals themselves — seven species of which inhabit California waters — all continue to dwindle from their kelp forest homes. This stark reality is the result of… Continue reading Holding Fast, or Failing? There Are Dozens of Confounding Elements Working Against Abalone Recovery on the California Coast.
Topic Category: Restoring Oceans
Whales are dying, but numbers are unknown. Coronavirus has stalled scientific fieldwork.
As gray whales began their northern migration along the Pacific coast, earlier this month — after a year of unusually heavy die-offs — scientists were poised to watch, ready to collect information that could help them learn what was killing them. The coronavirus outbreak, however, has largely upended that field work — and that of… Continue reading Whales are dying, but numbers are unknown. Coronavirus has stalled scientific fieldwork.
PODCAST: Helping the Kelp Make a Comeback
Kelp forests, the base of marine life on the Pacific Coast, including the seafood we eat, are disappearing. The Bay Foundation’s hands-on restoration effort might be the answer. Interview with Executive Director Tom Ford. (6 min.)
Can the Long-Lost Abalone Make a Comeback in California?
LA Times: Hunched over a tank inside the Bodega Marine Laboratory, alongside bubbling vats of seaweed and greenhouses filled with algae, Kristin Aquilino coaxed a baby white abalone onto her hand. …To the untrained eye, they appear pretty drab. But in this humming lab, home to more white abalone than in the wild, these invertebrates… Continue reading Can the Long-Lost Abalone Make a Comeback in California?
What Even Is Local Seafood?
The waters off Southern California are rich with marine life. As part of his effort to serve the freshest seafood possible, much of what [Chef Michael] Cimarusti offers at Providence is sourced from the Pacific. “There are so many amazing ingredients that are being harvested right here,” he says. But for most consumers, it’s not… Continue reading What Even Is Local Seafood?
Explosion of Oregon’s Purple Sea Urchin Population
Populations of purple sea urchin have exploded up and down the West Coast, decimating kelp and crowding out other marine animals. In a recent count of one Oregon reef, the population of purple urchins was 350 million, an increase of 10,000 percent over the last five years. Shellfish biologist Scott Groth with the Oregon Department… Continue reading Explosion of Oregon’s Purple Sea Urchin Population
These Purple Creatures are Eating All Our Kelp. It’s Time to Eat Them.
There are underwater forests spanning millions of acres — but they’re rapidly dying due to climate change and an unlikely predator. Kelp forests, which are often referred to as the rainforests of the sea, play an important role in fighting climate change. Kelp, which is a type of macroalgae, is estimated to sequester 634 metric tons of… Continue reading These Purple Creatures are Eating All Our Kelp. It’s Time to Eat Them.
PODCAST: Legalizing the Other Weed (Kelp)
In Episode 81, Quinn & Brian discuss: Legalizing the weed of the sea. Our guests are Bren Smith and Tom Ford, two fine, clean-living gentleman who are out on the water, every day, trying to change the way that we eat and use the ocean to our benefit — and, more importantly, to the ocean’s… Continue reading PODCAST: Legalizing the Other Weed (Kelp)
Velella Velella Jelly Fish with Tom Ford
Tom Ford interviewed by reporter Angela Sun on the Velella Velella Jelly Fish on Santa Monica beach. Aired on multiple newscasts throughout the day.
12 Burning Questions with Tom Ford
Senior Editor Sami Leung sat down with Tom Ford, Co-Director of the Coast Research Institute, Executive Director of the Bay Foundation and a part-time faculty member teaching environmental science.