Heal the Bay Blog

Calling All Coastal Cleanup Day Photographers!

09.10.2012 | Heal the Bay

SEND US YOUR BEST SHOTS OF COASTAL CLEANUP DAY 2012 AND YOUR PHOTO COULD BE ON EXHIBIT AT THE AQUARIUM

Take a great photo during Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012, and share it with @HealtheBay on Instagram, and your photograph could be on exhibit at Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium and featured in the Coastal Cleanup Day wrap-up publication! Images can be of a beach or kayak cleanup, underwater photos from a dive cleanup, pictures of trash, clean beaches, volunteers, or anything from Coastal Cleanup Day 2012!

How to enter: Upload photos from Coastal Cleanup Day to your Instagram feed, make sure they are public, and tag them with #CCD2012 AND @HealtheBay, as well as including location information through Geo-Tagging and/or hashtagging with your cleanup site’s name (i.e. #DockweilerBeach). At the end of the contest, Heal the Bay will collect all of the photos and decide the winners. You can enter as many photos as you want!

You can submit photos from now until September 29, and the winner will be announced October 1 through Instagram. Grab your Smartphones and start uploading to Instagram! Good luck!

Prizes:

First Prize: Your photograph will be exhibited at Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium and published in our Coastal Cleanup Day 2012 wrap-up book. You and a guest will also receive a private, behind-the-scenes tour of Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium!
Second Prize (2): Your photograph will be exhibited at Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium and published in our Coastal Cleanup Day 2012 wrap-up book.
Third Prize (5): Your photograph will be exhibited at Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium.

For those not familiar with the photo sharing app, Instagram is an app for Smartphones that lets you easily tweak photos from your mobile device to give them an artistic look. If you don’t have it already installed on your phone, download the app for free.

No purchase necessary. No automated entries. Enter as many photos as you like. Photos must be taken at a Coastal Cleanup Day 2012 volunteer site in order to be eligible. By entering the contest, each entrant agrees that his or her submission is an original work of authorship and he or she owns all right, title and interest in the entry as of the date of submission. By entering the contest, entrants agree to assign all right, title, and interest, including copyright rights, in the entry to Heal the Bay and grant permission for Heal the Bay to publish or publicize all or part of their entry, including but not limited to entrant’s name, likeness and photo, in whole or in part, for advertising, promotional and trade or other purposes in conjunction with this and similar promotions in any and all media now known or hereafter developed, worldwide in perpetuity, without notice or permission and without compensation, except where prohibited by law.

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The Aquarium Welcomes a Wolf-Eel

09.07.2012 | Heal the Bay

Heal the Bay Aquarium Santa Monica

As summer fades away – along with the tourists that season brings – Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium is exhibiting a new local species: the wolf-eel, Anarrhichthys ocellatus. At nearly three-feet long, the juvenile wolf-eel is neither wolf nor eel, but a member of the wolffish family (named for their large front teeth) and will grow to be about seven feet long. The eel-shaped, grayish colored wolf-eel is patterned with gorgeous dark spots and can be found peering out of a rocky outcropping in the Aquarium’s Kelp Forest Exhibit.

The Aquarium typically closes for maintenance for most of September, but this year the facility will remain open throughout the month for regular hours: 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday with the exception of Tuesday, Sept. 11, when the Aquarium will be closed for Coastal Cleanup Education Day. The Aquarium is open during weekends from 12:30 to 5:00 p.m. Plan your visit to see the wolf-eel at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium.

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A Dive Like No Other, Thanks to New MPAs

09.06.2012 | Dana Murray

About Us Long Beach / Avalon Malibu / Pacific Palisades Marina del Rey / Playa del Rey Marine Protected Areas Palos Verdes Peninsula Santa Monica South Bay

Thousands of tiny golden fish dart out of the way as I kick through the kelp forest — it’s amazing that they’re already learning to swim from predators at an early age. As I round the edge of a large rocky reef fringing Santa Cruz Island, I am enveloped yet again in a cloud of tiny marine animals and larvae — these ones looking more like itsy-bitsy lobster babies. Up above me, I see dozens of juvenile blue rockfish, only a few inches in length, floating amidst the strands of giant kelp. I’ve never experienced a dive like this before. It must be baby season in the kelp forest, and I’ve dove into their nursery.

Although the sheer amount of baby fish and crustaceans is impressive enough, one of my favorite animals zooms into view. With long whiskers, big black eyes, and a spotted coat, a curious harbor seal begins to play a little peek-a-boo with me in the kelp. Seeing large predators, like harbor seals, is a good indicator of a healthy ecosystem. A large school of mackerel divides and darts away from the deft predator. I’m always excited (and a bit nervous) when I see large schools of fish suddenly change direction, and a dark shadow passes over me. It usually means a predator such as a shark or marine mammal is in pursuit of its prey. I float coolly in the giant kelp forest, watching the harbor seal hunt, weaving its way around and through the school of fish.

What I experienced underwater is in a marine reserve at our local Channel Islands — a marine protected area (MPA) where all marine life can thrive, free from fishing or harvest. The marine reserves at the Channel Islands have been in place for fewer than 10 years, but the ecosystems are already so much healthier! Along the Los Angeles shoreline, we also have brand-new MPAs in Malibu and Palos Verdes, which were established on Jan. 1, 2012. Given a little time, perhaps our local MPAs could flourish like those at the nearby Channel Islands. These areas have been designated along key stretches of coast to help marine life recover and restore our fisheries. Yet, the majority of the Southern California coast is still open to fishing.

To support our local MPAs, USC Sea Grant and Resources Legacy Fund Foundation have generously funded Heal the Bay’s MPA Watch citizen science monitoring program, which allows volunteers to survey human uses within and outside of MPAs in Los Angeles. This summer, Heal the Bay’s interns, volunteers, and staff worked together to analyze and write our first MPA Watch Data Analysis & Results Report. Our 27-page report includes data from 554 surveys in Malibu and Palos Verdes spanning 17 months in 2011 and 2012. We found that the most common coastal uses in the study areas are non-consumptive activities — 99% of the coastal uses surveyed to date are non-consumptive recreational activities. Unfortunately, in both Malibu’s and Palos Verdes’ MPAs, some active consumptive activities are present in 2012, the majority of which is shore-based rod/reel fishing (80+ individuals). Although this is a small percentage of the overall ocean uses in these areas, these findings highlight the importance of education and outreach about the new MPAs to the shore-angling community.

Tracking human uses in these new MPAs is important as the data can be used with ecological surveys to help give a more complete picture of ecosystem health, as well as inform education and enforcement actions. Like the Channel Islands MPAs, I look forward to the marine life and ecosystems in our local coastal MPAs in Malibu and in Palos Verdes will also begin to thrive and to seed areas outside of the MPAs.

–Dana Roeber Murray

Heal the Bay Marine & Coastal Scientist

Want to help survey new Marine Protected Areas? Join MPA Watch.

Contact Dana Murray for more information.

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Blue Demon, Jr. Takes on Trash at Lake Balboa

09.06.2012 | Heal the Bay

News

Who is that masked hombre?

Mexican luchador and pro-wrestler Blue Demon, Jr. will make an appearance at the Lake Balboa Park site in Van Nuys on Coastal Cleanup Day, Saturday, September 15 at 9 a.m.

If you don’t live in the Valley, there are still plenty of chances to enjoy the outdoors and help beautify your community on Coastal Cleanup Day, as Heal the Bay will organize nearly 60 coastal and inland cleanup sites, spanning close to 100 square miles. An online map of all cleanup sites with registration information can be found at healthebay.org/ccd2012.

No special training or equipment (including wrestling masks) are required. However, Heal the Bay encourages volunteers to go Zero Waste and bring their own buckets, reusable bags and gloves to pick up trash.

Sign up now!

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September at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium

09.05.2012 | Heal the Bay

Heal the Bay Aquarium Santa Monica

As summer fades away – along with the tourists that season brings – just in time to welcome back the local community, Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium is exhibiting a new local species – a juvenile wolf-eel, Anarrhichthys ocellatus. At nearly three-feet long, the wolf-eel is neither wolf nor eel, but a member of the wolffish family (named for their large front teeth) and will grow to be about seven feet long. The eel-shaped, grayish colored wolf-eel is patterned with gorgeous dark spots and can be found peering out of a rocky outcropping in the Aquarium’s Kelp Forest Exhibit.
The Aquarium typically closes for maintenance for most of September, but this year the facility will remain open throughout the month for regular hours: from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday – with the exception of Tuesday, Sept. 11th, when the Aquarium will be closed for Coastal Cleanup Education Day. Weekends, the Aquarium is open from 12:30 to 5:00 p.m. Meet the wolf-eel and visit the more than 100 additional species on exhibit.

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State Senate Drops Plastic Bag Ban

09.04.2012 | Heal the Bay

California Bag Ban

While AB 298, the proposed bill to ban single use plastic bags, did not pass the California state legislature last month, the coalition of support for plastic pollution prevention has progressed incredibly. Local momentum continues to grow as the city of Los Angeles will conduct a final hearing on the plastic bag ban this year. Thank you to Surfrider, Environment California, Green Vets Los Angeles, Azul and Clean Seas Coalition for their invaluable support, and to the many volunteers and advocates for their hard work. We may have lost one legislative battle, but with your help we can win the war on harmful plastic pollution. We will keep you updated on other local municipalities taking action and the next steps on statewide action.

Learn more about the environmental and financial cost of plastic bags in California.

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The L.A. River Up Close and Personal

08.31.2012 | Heal the Bay

Long Beach / Avalon Malibu / Pacific Palisades Marina del Rey / Playa del Rey Palos Verdes Peninsula Santa Monica South Bay Venice Beach

I don’t get a ton of opportunity to get out from behind my desk to romp in the creeks and watersheds that we protect. But this Friday afternoon was going to be the exception, as I was joining our Education Department for a kayaking tour of the Los Angeles River.

The night before I cringed at all the work I had to finish to be able leave the office for four hours, but I knew it would be worth it. And it was! What an excellent way to see the L.A. River up close. And this time I was not armed with gloves and a trash bag but rather a kayak and a paddle.

We weren’t even in the kayaks yet and our Education staff was spouting off information on this bird or that plant — I’m a hobby gardener so I could add a few names here and there as we meandered down the wide calm river for an hour-and-a-half tour. Birds and dragonflies were everywhere. We saw Black-Necked Stilts, Snowy Egrets, a Great Blue Heron and Great Egret fishing in a rocky outcropping – it caught two fish while we snapped pictures.

The river was not at all what one thinks of when they conjure up images of the L.A. River. Most think of the Hollywood version of a high speed car chase down a solid concrete storm drain. The banks were filled with Sycamores and Willow trees that touched the water’s edge. The air smelled like sage – the same scent you get while hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains. The temperature was hot, but the water was cool to the touch. We quickly unwound from work mode and started joking and laughing and enjoying the exercise. What a great way to end a busy week – or better yet, start the weekend.

The tours sold out very quickly, so be sure to put this on your list for next summer. There’s an exciting possibility that the tours will expand to the Glendale Narrows, the soft-bottomed stretch of the river that runs from the Los Angeles Equestrian Center to the 5 Freeway overpass.

Thanks to LA Conservation Corps for taking us out on this day. And big thanks and congratulations to the Friends of the L.A. River, who recently succeeded in getting Governor Jerry Brown to sign the Los Angeles River Expanded Public Access Bill, which will allow more residents can experience this little known treasure. The new law takes effect January 2013 and will broaden the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works’ 100-year-old mission of flood control and stormwater management to include, for the first time, education and recreation.

—Alix Hobbs

Associate Director, Heal the Bay

View photos from Heal the Bay’s L.A. River expedition.

Join our fight for clean water in Los Angeles.

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First 100 Volunteers at Bay Street Site Receive Jazz Concert Tickets

08.30.2012 | Heal the Bay

Coastal Cleanup Day Santa Monica

Heal the Bay and California Greenworks Inc, have joined forces to thank Coastal Cleanup Day volunteers with a FREE concert ticket for EarthFest L.A. 2012! The first 100 people that volunteer at the Bay Street Coastal Cleanup Day sitein Santa Monica on Saturday, September 15th, will receive a free ticket ($20 value) to the Jazz for the Environment Concert at EarthFest L.A. 2012 at 2pm.

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Rave Reviews for Heal the Bay, Sundance Benefit

08.30.2012 | Heal the Bay

Events

The box office tallies are in: Heal the Bay and Sundance’s Movie Night to benefit clean oceans and rivers Wednesday night was a smash hit. Sundance Cinemas’ about-to-launch Sunset theater complex in West Hollywood welcomed more than 400 film fans and eco-champions for a fun, laid-back night of intelligent cinema and environmental activism.

Once they arrived to the newly refurbished theaters, moviegoers got to select from one of five surprise screenings, with a focus on the L.A. premiere of Watershed, the latest documentary from the Redford family. The affable Jamie Redford, a producer of the film that argues for a new water ethic in the American Southwest, graciously welcomed guests, promising to follow in the spirit of the film and not “lecture you all.” Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz (a primary force behind the city’s recently enacted plastic bag ban) presented a civic proclamation, followed by his fellow councilmember, the always ebullient Tom LaBonge.

As guest settled into their seats in the respective theaters, they were treated to a wide-screen showing of Heal the Bay’s clever plastic bag mockumentary – “The Majestic Plastic Bag,” the Jeremy Irons narrated short that recently played in official competition at the Sundance Film Festival. (It was also nice to kick off a movie with a specialty craft beer, fresh popcorn and an oversize, comfy seat.)

With its focus on the challenges facing the Colorado River and other water-related issues, Watershed was naturally the main draw for most Heal the Bay supporters. Actress and Heal the Bay board member Sharon Lawrence deftly moderated a spirited panel discussion after the film (pictured below) with Redford, director Mark Decena, Regional Water Board member Irma Munoz and local sustainability champion Jimmy Lizama. An engaged crowd discussed a variety of topics, from gray water to fracking, with an effort to identify steps people can take in their daily routine to use water more wisely.

But a few staff members and donors, with maybe just a tinge of guilt, chose to sneak into some of the other specialty fare. (Arbitrage, the new Richard Gere Wall Street drama, drew a big crowd that enjoyed the film’s pulpy pleasures.)

A special thanks to Sundance Cinemas execs Paul Richardson and Nancy Gribler for welcoming Heal the Bay into their new exhibition home. The theater opens to the general public on Friday.

See more photos from Sundance Movie Night.

If your company or organization is interested in hosting a benefit event, please contact Nina Borin at 310-451-1500, ext. 124 for more information.

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Beach Water Clear in Ore. and Wash.

08.30.2012 | Heal the Bay

About Us Beach Report Card News

Just in time to head to the shore for the Labor Day weekend, Heal the Bay’s end-of-summer 2012 Beach Report Card for Oregon and Washington shows mostly A’s and B’s, with just a few spots that need improving. This is the third year that Heal the Bay has released summertime bacterial pollution data for beaches in the Pacific Northwest.

The report analyzed water quality data collected between Memorial Day and Labor Day at 240 monitoring locations in Oregon and Washington, issuing an A-to-F grade assigned to each beach based on levels of bacterial pollution. The lower the grade, the greater the risk of an ocean user contracting an illness from contact with the water.

In Washington, swimmers are warned to avoid Holmes Harbor’s (Freeland County Park in Island County), Larrabee State Park (Whatcom County) and Mukilteo Lighthouse Park (Snohomish County). State agencies investigating high bacteria counts have identified problems with thick beach wrack, animal waste and polluted stormwater discharge, respectively, at these beach monitoring locations.

Meanwhile, Oregon beaches were quite clean this summer, with all 11 regularly monitored beaches in Clatsop and Tillamook counties receiving A grades for the third straight year.

Ocean lovers all along the Pacific Coast can check their local beach’s water quality themselves via Heal the Bay’s free Beach Report Card app for iPhone and Android users, which provides searchable A through F grades, weather conditions and users tips for more than 650 beaches in California, Oregon and Washington. Stay tuned for the end-of-summer Beach Report Card for California in the coming weeks.

Unfortunately, proposed cuts by the EPA threaten future beach water quality testing by zeroing out BEACH Act grant funding throughout the United States. Take action to find out more and send a letter directly to the EPA to restore such funding.

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