By Sarah Haselton Purple sea urchins, strongylocentrotus purpuratus are invertebrates which range from Vancouver Island to Isla Cedra, Baja California. Purple sea urchins are in the phylum echinodermata which means they are related to sea stars, sand dollars and sea cucumbers. They are found in rocky intertidal ecosystems as well as kelp beds. The animal is round in shape due to the inner shell, referred to as a “test.” The test is covered with pincers, tubed feet and purple spines. The spines functional purpose is for feeding and protection from predators such as sea otters. The tubed feet …
Ebb & Flow
The Newsletter of The Watershed Project
Tales of resilience: The California Sea Otter
By Sarah Haselton Southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis), also commonly known as California sea otters represent an important conservation story. Sea otters are very unique compared to other marine mammals. Sea otters belong to the weasel family and are the only member of the family that exclusively inhabit the ocean. Sea otters are known to be the smallest of all marine mammals in North America. Interestingly, sea otters are the only marine mammals that do not have blubber to stay warm. Instead, they have extremely thick, multi-layered fur. Sea otters have approximately one million …
Oysters Make a Comeback
By Helen Fitanides As we wrap up 2018, we have a heartwarming story of a very special invertebrate making a return to our Point Pinole Reef: the Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida). 2017 was a record rainfall year for California, and most of us rejoiced in the welcome moisture. However, the consistent rainfall between January and March 2017 brought so much freshwater into the San Francisco Bay that salinity at Point Pinole dropped to under 10 parts per thousand (ppt) for over two months. Olympia oysters are best adapted for salinities in area of 25ppt, and while they can close up and wait during …
Do you seal what I seal? Elephant seals in December.
By Chloe Criswell As the winter months set in, many animals migrate, go into hibernation, or are not readily available for viewing. That is not the case for the elephant seal! The winter is a very important time for this seal. The elephant seal is a kind of ocean-going seal, with two extant species, the northern elephant seal (M. angustirostris) and the southern elephant seal (M. leonina). It is actually the largest species of seal in the world! The Elephant seal gets its name from the large nose on the mature male that resembles an elephant trunk. While they may be difficult to distinguish …
The Melrose Green Schoolyard Project: Community Grows out of Asphalt
On a sunny Saturday morning in Oakland, The Watershed Project led the Melrose Leadership Academy school community in planting a new swale and natural play area on the edge of their large paved playground. TWP partnered with the Trust for Public Land on this greening project that removed large swaths of asphalt to create natural play spaces. Contractors removed the pavement, graded the earth and installed the curbs and log benches, and The Watershed Project worked with the school community to plant the newly created spaces with native plants and trees. Stormwater management was one driver of …
What’s Happening for the Environment in California? State and Local News
Environmental Education On September 13, 2018, Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 720 (SB720) into law. This bill adds en vironmental education and principles into the Education Code so that they are integrated into the content standards and curriculum frameworks in relevant subject areas. Ten Strands, who sponsored the bill, tweeted that SB720 “strengthens CA’s commitment to ensuring that all public school students have the opportunity to become environmentally literate.” The bill approves California’s Environmental Principles and Concepts and encourages governing boards and school …
Green Friday – Get Outside on Black Friday and All Winter with TWP
For the 4th year in a row, REI is closing all of its stores on Black Friday to encourage people to #optoutside. There is a movement to remake Black Friday into Green Friday. Here at The Watershed Project, we’ll also be opting to be outside, both on Green Friday and all winter long. Winter is an important time for TWP because with winter rains comes the opportunity to plant many of our green infrastructure projects. We’ve looked through our archives to provide you with a list of places to visit on Green Friday, including some of our project sites! Come see the new bioswales at Booker T. …
Lesser Temperatures, Lesser Scaup!
By Chloe Criswell The cold temperatures are no problem for this winter bird. As the winter months roll in, many animals begin their hibernation, many birds migrate south for warmer temperatures, and many people migrate indoors as well! However the Lesser Scaup, along with other waterfowl, can still be seen diving for food in local bodies of water. The Lesser Scaup, or Aythya affinis is a brilliantly colored medium-sized diving duck, common to North America’s coastal areas. These birds make their home in lakes, ponds, or estuaries, and can be seen congregating on bodies of water by the …