Bay Nature stories about the Pacific Ocean.

Of Mice and Birds at the Farallones

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U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials extended to June 10 the deadline for accepting public comments on a controversial proposal to eradicate nonnative house mice on the Southeast Farallon Islands. Opponents cite concerns that the poisons will endanger a range of wildlife on or near the islands, while proponents say the project will help threatened seabirds and the island ecosystem.

Kids Clean Up and Make Art at Ocean Beach

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How do you get 500-plus kids to sit still on the beach? Tell them a helicopter is about to fly overhead and take their collective photograph, and that by the way, they’ll also be on television. It happened at Ocean Beach, and all in the name of ocean conservation.

Tracking an Extreme Mammal: Elephant Seals

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They can plunge to depths of more than a mile and stay submerged for 90 minutes without coming up for air. They can swim up to 14,000 miles a year. The males can weigh over two and a half tons. You could say elephant seals are “Extreme Mammals,” record-holders in several categories, including deepest divers. And with new tracking methods, we’re learning more than ever about these amazing creatures.

Toothy Charisma and More at SF Ocean Film Festival

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A film festival about the ocean doesn’t have to look far for charisma: certain toothy creatures and wave-riding daredevils will easily draw audiences. But the San Francisco Ocean Film Festival, now in its eighth year, aspires to do more than just fill seats. Be inspired and learn what you can do to help — March 9-13.

Sea Otters Face Dual Threat of Sharks and Algae

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It’s safe to say that most Californians harbor a soft spot for sea otters. So two bleak reports this past month concerning the fate of the southern sea otter were met with much dismay. One group of scientists documented a fresh-water toxin that’s killing otters downstream, while another found a marked increase in otters killed by sharks.

Book Review: Introduction to California’s Beaches and Coast

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Chances are you’ve sat on the beach and pondered where the sand goes when the waves carry it off, or maybe what the California coast looked like a million years ago, or why it’s so darned foggy. Find the answers to these questions and more in the latest addition to the California Natural History Guides series.

Don’t Miss the Summertime Blues!

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This summer has been a great year for whale watching in Monterey Bay. The giant blues showed up early and have stuck around, making for daily sightings of these amazing animals. Humpbacks are lunge-feeding and breaching. At the heart of it all? The humble krill…

Charting Climate Change on the Central Coast

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The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, along with its sister sanctuaries to the north and south, Cordell Banks and Monterey Bay, are sentinels for the effects of global warming on ocean waters. And, as documented in a new report released, Central California’s offshore waters and coastline are already showing the effects of global warming.