Heal the Bay Blog

Heal the Bay staff scientists Sarah Sikich and Dana Murray report on the latest efforts to save Malibu’s troubled Broad Beach from erosion and sea-level rise.

Ocean waves lapping against a golden sandy strand of beach in Malibu, low tides exposing rocky reefs full of tidepool animals in Lechuza Cove, and a healthy beach dune habitat providing homes for endangered snowy plovers and sand dune critters. Is this the Broad Beach of the past, or a vision of the future if environmentally sound restoration comes to this erosion-challenged shoreline?

Since a rock revetment was placed in front of homes in this well-to-do community four years ago, the beach has seriously eroded.  Faced with sea level rise and waves eating away at the beach in front of their properties, homeowners are proposing a combined rock revetment and sand nourishment project to restore the beach and protect their homes — a fate that the California Coastal Commission and State Lands Commission will ultimately decide.

If approved, the undertaking would be the largest beach nourishment project in the state. But the stakes are much greater than the fate of this one mile stretch of sand. What happens at Broad Beach is a bellwether for how California beachfront communities address climate change and sea level rise, stressors that are sure to increase in the coming decades.

In 2010, the Coastal Commission granted the Broad Beach homeowners an emergency permit to quickly build a rock revetment wall to protect 78 beachfront homes during a winter of severe storms. The emergency permit has since expired and the rock revetment is no longer permitted, so homeowners are proposing a new project that would bury the existing rock revetment with over 600,000 cubic yards of sand to form dunes and nourish the scoured-away beach.

After years of collaboration and research, a coalition of environmental nonprofits led by Heal the Bay and the Surfrider Foundation presented thoughtful recommendations to the California Coastal Commission at its December meeting on how to balance coastal habitat protection with home protection through the proposed Broad Beach restoration project. The good news is that we witnessed strong leadership and efforts to protect the environment from Coastal Commissioners, which resulted in the homeowners withdrawing their project proposal after a seven-hour discussion to make some refinements based on the recommendations provided at the hearing.

Although Heal the Bay supports the idea of a restored sand dune and beach system at Broad Beach, the project as proposed would bury tidepools and seagrass habitat in the adjacent marine protected area and threaten water quality along this popular stretch of coastline. We have been working with homeowners and agency staff to recommend a project that meets the needs of the homeowners, while protecting the unique habitats off Broad Beach.

The need to protect marine life and water quality resonated with the Coastal Commissioners at the hearing. Following an hour of presentations by Coastal Commission staff, the homeowners, and environmental nonprofits, a lengthy discussion ensued among the Commissioners.

Most Commissioners indicated support for many of our recommended changes to the project, such as limiting beach and dune nourishment activities to regions that would least impact the marine protected area and getting rid of septic systems along the beach. Great environmental leadership and direction were especially shown from Commissioners Bochco, Zimmer, Groom, and Shallenberger. Commissioner McClure chimed in on water quality and said: “The residents of Broad Beach need to fix their toilets. No. 1 issue. There needs to be an aggressive plan for septic systems.” She also emphasized the importance of marine life protection: “We need to protect our MPAs … We have some of the best protections in the world. … We can’t be putting hundreds of thousands of yards of sand in an MPA where we have important marine life.”

However, just as the Commission made a motion to vote to approve the project with many of our recommended improvements, the homeowners stepped up to the podium and withdrew their application. Realizing that the vote would likely require significant changes to their project, the homeowners elected to spend more time working together to refine the proposed project and resubmit their application to the Coastal Commission early next year. We hope to see more of the science-based recommendations we have been advocating for in the next version of the project.

Heal the Bay will continue to work to ensure that the biggest proposed beach nourishment project in California is the least environmentally damaging as possible, and sets a good precedence for adaptation to sea level rise. We will also advocate for strong monitoring of whatever project moves forward at Broad Beach, as there are many questions about coastal environmental impacts of such a large-scale project and the stability of a dune restoration atop a rock wall.

Stay tuned.

Sea level rise and erosion have taken their toll on Malibu’s Broad Beach.

Zola Berger-Schmitz, a local high school student and Heal the Bay volunteer extraordinaire, shares her thoughts about inspiring youth on World Oceans Day on June 8.

It was a late summer afternoon on the beach in Santa Monica.  Though I was only 12 years old, I had a sudden epiphany.  What if there were no more fish left in the ocean? 

Little did I know then that I would spend the next five years of my life advocating for a healthier ocean.  What motivates my advocacy is trying to answer a worrying question.  When I imagine what the California coast will look like in 50 or 100 years, I wonder:  Will my grandchildren see a pristine sea with blue dolphins jumping, or a mass of contamination and plastic pollution?

Growing up, I’d learned about pollution and issues such as overfishing and habitat destruction.  But I wasn’t aware of how prevalent these problems were in marine habitats near my own home in Los Angeles.  The trash that enters our city-wide stormdrain, for example, contributes to the mass of debris floating around the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

When I first visited Heal the Bay, I thought I would volunteer to help with a few beach cleanups. It was the summer of 2009, and by coincidence also an important moment in California history. Heal the Bay and several other organizations in the California area were working to create Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in order to preserve sea life and habitats in our ocean.

After attending a Heal the Bay presentation on MPAs, I was eager to get involved in the legislative process.  Some of my favorite national parks such as Yosemite exist on land, so I wondered why such areas didn’t exist underwater.  Inspired in part by Theodore Roosevelt’s crusade to create national parks throughout the United States, I set out to help create MPAs along the California coast.

Just before I started seventh grade, I began speaking out at public hearings across the state.  At school, I circulated petitions for students to support the adoption of MPAs in Southern California. In early 2010, inspired by Heal the Bay’s short video “The Majestic Plastic Bag,” I began my first foray into the world of film directing. Armed with a small nonprofessional video camera and a self-appointed crew of middle-school students, I made the short film titled “What If” about the importance of adopting MPAs along the California coast.

The “What If” film featured my entire middle school, and spoke from different kids’ perspectives about the importance of keeping the marine life on California’s coast abundant for the enjoyment of future generations.  “What If” was shown to the California Fish and Game Commission at a hearing in Monterey.  I was thrilled when I learned shortly afterwards that MPAs had been officially adopted in California. The MPAs would protect key feeding and breeding grounds, helping fish populations recover and thrive once again.  It was a historic victory for California and my peers and I felt an empowering, deep sense of satisfaction at having participated in a successful campaign to promote environmental change.

So often, young people are overwhelmed by global issues and not given the guidance to learn how to solve large-scale problems. Many kids wonder how taking even the smallest action can have an impact on creating statewide legislation or removing billions of pieces of trash from the ocean.  But, there are so many things kids and adults alike can do!  And helping with beach cleanups or showing your support at a local public hearing is just the beginning.

In the past few years, my personal efforts have focused on the plastic bag ban campaign in the city and county of Los Angeles, as well as doing educational outreach to Los Angeles Girl Scout troops, public and private school students, and at venues such as the LA Green Festival and Heal the Bay environmental youth summits.  Whenever possible, I have attended public hearings and continued to collect petitions advocating for a plastic bag ban and a cleaner environment. Los Angeles, which recently became the largest city in the nation to ban plastic bags, is making progress towards promoting a greener future. I hope that by the time I finish high school, there will be a California statewide ban as well.

High school students represent the next generation of leaders, politicians and change-makers.  It’s imperative that students gain the confidence to voice environmental opinions, as we are the ones who will face the harsh realities of the future.  We are the ones who will suffer most from the potential, irreversible deterioration of the ocean, which covers 75% of our Earth and feeds so much of the world’s population.

I hope my work inspires other young people and adults alike to consider becoming advocates for a greener and “bluer” future. I hope you’ll join me in celebrating World Oceans Day by pitching in to protect your stretch of the coast!

Heal the Bay welcomes volunteers of all ages, backgrounds and experience. Come to one of our orientations to learn more.

We love Earth Month. April is a time of renewal and rejuvenation, a time for millions to reflect on the health of the natural resources on which we all depend. But the reality is that every month is Earth Month for Heal the Bay. Our passionate staff members and dedicated volunteers work hard throughout the year to guard Southern California’s rivers, beaches and oceans. Protecting what you love is a 365 day-a-year job – be it fighting for strong pollution limits, providing hands-on marine education to local students or restoring habitat in degraded waterways.

We don’t take our local beaches and local neighborhoods for granted, and we know you don’t either. Whether you’ve joined one of our beach cleanups, visited our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium or just shared one of our social media posts with your network of friends, you’ve shown a deep commitment to our shorelines and the animals that call it home.

In honor of Earth Month, we’re asking you to go a step further. By committing to a modest monthly gift of $9, you’ll help sustain our work year-round. You’ll also become a card-carrying Heal the Bay Hero.

$9. What can it really get you these days? Maybe we’re biased, but we’re willing to bet you’d prefer a month of clean beaches to buying a single designer cocktail or a movie ticket to the latest vampire meldorama. In appreciation of your gift, we’ll also send you a limited edition t-shirt designed by celebrated local artists Tim Biskup and Florencio Zavala so you can literally wear your love of the ocean on your sleeve. You can also snag a shirt at ZJ’s, Channel Islands Scuba or at this Saturday’s Earth Month Extravaganza at the Santa Monica Pier, while supplies last. Beginning May 1, you’ll be able to purchase shirts via our website!

30 cents a day may not sound like an heroic amount, but recurring gifts from Heal the Bay Heroes will provide us with a reliable stream of funding while allowing donors like you to spread out your charitable giving more manageably throughout the year.

Over the course of the year, your donation would underwrite any of the following:

• Reusable supplies for five volunteer beach cleanups
• Two days of water quality testing at our local rivers
• Training for four volunteers to monitor newly established Marine Protected Areas
• Bus rides and a day of hands-on marine education for 60 underserved students

Your gift today will help us protect the Bay year-round. Who knew becoming a Hero could be as easy as setting aside 30 cents a day?

Thank you!

P.S.–Heal with your hands as well as your wallet! Check out our list of Earth Month goings-on here. 

Follow @healthebay on Vine for our ongoing #HtBHero video series

Sarah Sikich, Heal the Bay’s coastal resources director, dives into the deep end for a special day in Sacramento.

My job sometimes entails getting up well before dawn on a Monday morning for the 6 a.m. flight to Sacramento. It isn’t the ideal way to ease into the workweek. But a few times each year I actually look forward to it. Today happens to be one of those times.

I’m up north to take part in California Ocean Day, a day of celebration and education, with dozens of student, non-profit, and business representatives from around the state bringing the ocean to the Capitol. We know there are many issues facing the state, but today we want to raise awareness among legislators and their staff about the pressing facing California’s coast and ocean.

It’s probably no surprise that the big blue is a major driver for California’s economy. Coastal tourism and recreation contribute $84 billon to the state’s economy, which is only enhanced by clean water, unpolluted beaches and a vibrant ocean.  For some decision-makers, like the Assembly Surf Caucus, our ocean is front of mind. (In the linked video, you can check out three of our legislators suit up and carve up some local waves. Assemblymember Calderon has a nice snapback!)

Even legislators that don’t surf should find it easy to see the benefits of a healthy ocean. Sacramento may not be a beach community, but it lies riverside. So the interconnectedness of our rivers, streams, and oceans should be something that everyone can understand and seek to protect.

We’ll be discussing how California’s system of underwater parks, known as marine protected areas, is starting to enhance our coastal waters for marine life and people’s enjoyment. Ocean advocates will also be talking about polluted runoff and plastic pollution, seeking support for State Water Board and legislative efforts to curb this scourge.

Sea level rise and ocean acidification are growing threats to California’s coast, and together, our groups will be encouraging research and vulnerability assessments to help better inform planning, habitat protection, and restoration efforts to adapt to this changing tide.

If you’re curious how our message is resonating, join us remotely by following us on social media throughout the day with the hashtag #CAOceanPride.