Bay Nature

Safe Fishing with Kids for the Bay

May 01, 2012 by Melati Kaye

Thanks to the nonprofit Kids for the Bay, each year a few thousand kids learn firsthand why those “Drains to Bay” stencils on storm grates are so important — and why eating fish from San Francisco Bay may not always be a good idea.

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Protecting the Little Fish, Food for Many

July 12, 2011 by Juliet Grable

They’re the little guys. Small, silver, nondescript fish that are so hard to tell apart that many people simply call them “baitfish.” But though they don’t command the attention of a breaching humpback whale or trophy tuna, these humble creatures–from anchovies to squid–play a starring role in local marine ecosystems. New legislation aims to force fisheries managers to consider that role when writing plans for the state’s commercial fishing fleet.

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All in a Roe

January 01, 2009 by Glen Martin

This winter, as they have for decades, fishermen in the Bay’s last commercial fishery will launch their boats in search of spawning herring. These small fish come into the Bay from the ocean to lay their eggs. People aren’t the only ones on the hunt for herring; seals and seabirds depend on this bounty as well. But changing consumer tastes, rising costs, and unstable marine conditions have put the squeeze on the both the hunter and the hunted, and now the survival of this historic fishery is very much in question.

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Book Review: Tom Stienstra’s Bay Area Recreation

October 01, 2004 by Matthew Bettelheim

Tom Stienstra’s Bay Area Recreation, by Tom Stienstra, Foghorn Outdoors, 2004, 498 pages, $19.95 (www.foghorn.com).
 

In introducing his newest …

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Ocean Awareness Campaign

October 01, 2003 by Leah Messinger

As thousands of monarchs return to the protection of the California State Park system, a coalition of marine conservation organizations …

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Bay Area Reservoirs and Recreational Areas

July 01, 2003 by Erika Brekke

There are quite a few reservoirs and artificial lakes in and around the Bay Area that are open to the …

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From the Bottom Up

January 01, 2002 by Micky Ellinger

It’s small, it’s restless, and it changes sex halfway through its life. Plus, the humble bay shrimp occupies a crucial niche in the complex food web of San Francisco Bay. It once played a significant role in the economy and culture of the local Chinese community. Today, both the shrimp and those who fish for it are still hanging on, but it hasn’t been easy.

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Peering into Muddy Waters

April 01, 2001 by Ron Russo

One measure of the ecological richness of the Bay is its role as a major nursery for five resident species of sharks.

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