News and Views From The Commercial Fishing Industry
The west coast is blowing up over recent news of a commercial and recreational ban of Dungeness crab along the California coast. This video focuses on ocean acidification, but highlights the dangers of an uncertain crab future.
By: Sherry Lippiatt, California Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program
Marine debris along the California coast. (Photo Credit: Heal the Bay)
Some parts of Southern California have already had record rainfalls this wet season, thanks to storms that moved through in mid-September. The state desperately needs the rain, but not the marine debris that comes with it. Major rainstorms inevitably lead to runoff, which can mobilize and turn upstream litter into marine debris downstream. Unfortunately, this yearly influx of much-needed rains often translates to a surge of marine debris, or the “first flush.”
This year could be a particularly wet one for California. The National Weather Service is predicting a wetter than average year with El Niño, which brings more marine debris concerns, as sights such as seen in these photos are common after major winter storms.
So what can we do? For starters, the easiest thing is to…
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