With Bay of Life, Frans Lanting and Christine Eckstrom wanted to go past Monterey Bay’s natural beauty to explore its past, present and possible futures.
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.
Can We Have More Whales and Fewer Whale Strikes?
September 23, 2022 •
Anchovies sparkled and seawater sprayed from the crusty maws of gray whales as they burst through the surface, again and again, off the coast near Pacifica, fifteen miles south of San Francisco. Groups of up to six gray whales devoured … Read more
On the Enigmatic ‘Flying Potato,’ Neither Plant Nor Animal, That Caused the Bay’s Biggest Harmful Algal Bloom in History
September 21, 2022 •
Heterosigma akashiwo can photosynthesize like a plant and wiggle like an animal, and it’s here to stay — but it’s still something of an enigma.
Modeling the uncertain future of Northern California’s bull kelp forests
August 2, 2022 •
For two years, scientists at UC Davis have been modeling a “Field of Dreams” hypothesis about bull kelp to understand what approaches could best help the recovery of the kelp forest ecosystem in Northern California.
In the Wake of Wildfire, Big Basin Redwoods State Park Partially Reopens to the Public
July 21, 2022 •
Big Basin State Park is not the lush, shady ancient forest it once was. In August 2020, 97 percent of the old-growth forest nestled in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains burned in the devastating CZU Lightning Complex fire. … Read more
An Enduring Oak Mystery: Synchronized Acorn Booms
July 5, 2022 •
How do the trees synchronize their reproductive efforts? Oaks, the dominant tree genus throughout much of low- and mid-elevation, temperate California, are full of mysteries.
The Story of the Butterflies
July 4, 2022 •
At almost every stage of life, the butterflies are threatened by climate change, habitat degradation, and increased use of neonicotinoid pesticides. At the same time, monarchs flourished in habitats that people made particularly habitable.
Bay Planners Highlight Another Missing Element in California Environmental Law: It Doesn’t Account Well for the Future
May 18, 2022 •
As the California Supreme Court wrote, “CEQA does not require an agency to consider the impact of existing conditions on future project users.”
Wetlands Help Fight Climate Change, But the Kind of Wetland Matters
February 24, 2022 •
Wetlands breathe in carbon dioxide, but can breathe out methane.
We Urgently Need More Information about Spiders, as Climate Change Means New Risks for Them
December 15, 2021 •
Climate change seems like a critical threat to spiders. But researchers are hampered by a lack of basic information.