The Epic Saga of the Verna A II, a Shoreline Menace No More
A derelict fishing vessel has finally been removed from a Sonoma County beach, after nine years. Waiting to do the cleanup more than doubled the cost.
The Ocean
Unmasking the Sea Star Killer
After a decade of carnage, we finally know what’s devastating sea stars along North America’s West Coast. Does that mean scientists can save them?
Map: Where Oodles of Federal Dollars for Nature Have Gone
BIL and IRA spending on nature in the greater San Francisco Bay Area has topped $1 billion, according to Bay Nature's most recent tally for our Wild Billions project.
These Programs Have Monitored Our Waters For Decades. Trump Could Destroy Them.
“Long-term monitoring isn’t sexy,” says one source. But this data is how we know what is happening to the planet.
Naturalist’s Notebook: Disco Anemones
The sunburst anemone has two color morphs and a glowing reputation.
A New Story for Sperm Whales
Nearly 175 years after Moby-Dick, pioneering research from Monterey Canyon and beyond is transforming how we understand the life of an enigmatic ocean legend.
Along With Its New Park, Ocean Beach Gets a Dunescaping
Sea-level rise is threatening San Francisco’s shores. Vegetating the sand dunes is part of the city’s answer.
A 200-Year-Old Scale That Will Help You Read the Wind
On land, we can usually afford to ignore the wind. Not so in a small sailboat, where the wind is your boss.
A Mussel Bed is Full of Life, 80 Years Later
The invertebrates found in a mussel bed on Dillon Beach in western Marin County are just as abundant as they were in 1941. But the types of organisms have changed.
In Surprising Turn, Crabbers Take to Whale-Safe Crab Pots
Yet again this winter, Dungeness season was delayed to keep whales safe. In a surprising turn after years of adamant resistance, more Dungeness crabbers are trying out—and pretty darn happy with—new pots designed to keep humpbacks from getting entangled.
