The focus on 2015’s record heat conceals a larger truth: cool years are increasingly unlikely.
Climate Change
Climate change is dramatically altering the San Francisco Bay Area's ecosystems and raising profound questions among conservationists about how to help species best adapt to new conditions.
Save the Smelt (In the Wild)
January 1, 2016 •
Bay Nature Publisher David Loeb’s January Bayview column.
‘Unprecedented’ Toxin Spread That Delayed Crab Season Shines Light on Mysterious Algae
November 11, 2015 •
Marine ecologists have long been alarmed at the potentially dangerous summertime growth of the single-celled algae Pseudo-nitzschia — but there are still significant blind spots in our knowledge and research funding has been scarce.
‘Climate Endangered’ Least Terns Thrive In Northern California, But For How Long?
October 21, 2015 •
The California least tern is rare but thriving in the Bay Area. For now. An examination of what Audubon’s “climate endangered” ranking means for a popular bird.
El Niño Update: It’s Going to Rain (Almost Certainly, Probably)
October 2, 2015 •
The forecaster mood and message is upbeat these days, with less hedging and more agreement that, yes, this El Niño winter could be a wet one.
The Black Oystercatcher Gets ‘Climate Endangered’ Status — But It’s Complicated
September 4, 2015 •
The popular black oystercatcher has been labeled “climate endangered” by Audubon. What does that mean for birds in the Bay Area?
Today in El Niño Advice: Don’t Worry About The Blob
September 1, 2015 •
The Pacific Ocean is the hottest we’ve ever seen it. What that means — or doesn’t — for the coming El Niño.
What’s Living in the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge? Plenty, Still.
August 13, 2015 •
The Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge might not look like much. But its industrial surroundings hide a biodiversity gem.
In Tough Year for Seals and Sea Lions, Rescue Center Works Overtime
August 12, 2015 •
In a normal year, The Marine Mammal Center rescues around 600 animals. It’s only August, and they’re way, way past that number.
Edges of Extinction
August 4, 2015 •
UC Santa Cruz ecologist Barry Sinervo studies dying species like a detective at a murder scene, hoping to identify animals near the brink of extinction.