Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory CouncilDiverNewsletter
August 2022
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Hello Oliver,
Welcome to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council Diver Newsletter. We have been quite busy under the water with many projects. Keith continues to work on the Kelp Restoration projectat Tankers Reef. California Department of Fish and Wildlife along with NOAA have been monitoring the site and gathering data on the project. Many divers are noting some of the local kelp beds are seeing good recruitment. Further south Bull Kelp has been seen growing well. Dive visibilities have also been picking up both in Monterey Bay and in Carmel. DEMA is just around the corner in Florida and we are hoping to see an industry continuing to rebound. More dive clubs are meeting once again in person and if there is a need to have Keith or Brian stop in and give a Sanctuary update please do not hesitate to ask.
The information and opinions of this article are that of Brian Nelson and Keith Rootsaert of the Sanctuary Advisory Council and do not reflect the views of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Drop us an email at:
Safe Diving,
Brian and Keith
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Do you know how to find out the local beach water quality reports?
Monterey County Health Department Beach Report
Know before you go...Diving
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MBNMS responds to vessel fire incident in Stillwater Cove
On June 27, a fire broke out on a24’ power vessel in Stillwater Cove. Cause of the fire is unknown yet likely an electrical fire. The following day, USCG, CDFW, and MBNMS responded to ensure the remaining wreck was removed from the seafloor and sanctuary. The vessel owner had insurance and contracted with Monterey Bay Diving and Salvage. The salvors floated the remaining hull and towed the wreck over to the pier where it was hauled out. MBNMS requested they conduct a dive survey under the vessel mooring ball to look for any additional debris.A few large and small pieces of the vessel were recovered, and luckily no hazmat items were found. The fuel (approx. 50 gallons) was consumed during the fire and the engine and fuel tank were mostly incinerated to the hull.
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S/V Makana Kai Grounds on Capitola Beach During High Surf Conditions
On July 19th at approximately 7:00 PM, the 33' S/V Makana Kai broke free from a mooring ball near Capitola Wharf and grounded on the sandy beach during very high swell conditions.MBNMS, US Coast Guard, CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife, Capitola Public Works and Capitola Police Department all responded on July 20th.The owner did not have insurance and was not able to finance the removal so the Santa Cruz County Sheriff Department took responsibility and hired Tow Boat US to tow the boat off the beach at high tide that evening.
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Marine Debris on Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Beaches
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MBNMS is assessing beach debris along the shoreline using 4 data sets (TIDES, Surfrider, NOAA MD Map, SOS)from coastal cleanup activities over a five-year period between 2017 through 2021. By understanding the types and prevalence of debris found on MBNMS beaches, we can inform cleanup, prevention and correction efforts. Cities, counties and interested organizations will be able to know the most problematic debris for focused legislative or prevention efforts.This understanding will provide the basis for organizations to strategize how to reduce or eliminate specific types of debris. Three representatives from MBNMS met with 3 NOAA personnel involved in the Marine Debris Program and the developer of the Trash Taxonomy Tool, a researcher from UC Riverside on 7/7/22 to discuss how to harmonize the data sets for analysis of debris categories. We discussed the challenges of using data collected in different ways and reported in different formats as we try to answer the fundamental question:What types of debris are most commonly found on MBNMS beaches?
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GF and MB Advisory Council Sub Committees hold joint meeting on Vessel Incidents
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On June 10, 2022, members of the Greater Farallones and Monterey Bay Advisory Council sub committees met to discuss vessel groundings, sinking and abandonment. These occurrences (collectively termed “vessel incidents”) cause environmental damage to sanctuary resources, are a violation of a number of sanctuary regulations, and a drain on sanctuary resources in terms of staff time required to respond to vessel incidents and salvage costs. The Sub Committees are exploring how sanctuaries can strengthen cross-agency cooperation on responses, as well as provide outreach and education to boaters in order to reduce the number of vessel incidents in sanctuaries. The agenda included a presentation by MBNMS staff on vessel incidents and a discussion on mutual issues of interest to both sites.The presentation included the regulations pertaining to vessel grounding, sinking and abandonment, and the data from the 2021 WCR Vessel Incident Report as well as some discussion points regarding recommendations in the report.The two sub committees had a productive discussion on some of the key challenges that the sites face with vessel incidents in general as well as some specific ideas on how to improve agency coordination and response times.
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A Partnership for Cleaner Air, Safer Whales, and a Quieter Ocean
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Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies is a voluntary Vessel Speed Reduction (VSR) Program along the coast of California. We incentivize companies to incorporate sustainable shipping practices across their global supply chain. By creating seasonal and predictable slow speed zones, we help these companies protect endangered whales, reduce fuel use and regional greenhouse gas emissions, and improve air quality and human health outcomes. Our team independently verifies cooperation rates, quantifies the benefits of participation, and provides recognition of program participants. In doing so, we aim to promote the adoption of sustainable shipping practices across the globe.
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Our Blue Legacy: Fifty Years of Impact of the National Marine Sanctuary System
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Our Blue Legacy: Fifty Years of Impact of the National Marine Sanctuary System The nation’s marine legacy from the last half century contains both victories: a global moratorium on commercial whaling, recovery of fisheries, creation of some of the largest underwater parks on the planet; and challenges: climate change, species on the brink of extinction, continuing habitat and biodiversity losses, and a growing problem with plastic pollution. As an integral part of that marine legacy, the National Marine Sanctuary System has a story to tell of change, growth, and impact. This report tells the story of our blue legacy
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Guide for the 2022 Sea Level Rise Technical Report Now Available
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Community planners and decision makers now have an application guide to help them plan for the significant sea level rise the United States is expected to see in the next 30 years. The guide is a response to the Interagency Sea Level Rise report, which projected about a foot of higher waters, on average, along U.S. coastlines by 2050. That is as much sea level rise in 30 years as the country witnessed in the previous century.
For each community, and for each project, there are many factors to consider. TheApplication Guide for the 2022 Sea Level Rise Technical Reportis a first-of-its-kind effort to help individuals and organizations wade through various local considerations to arrive at the best approach for their community. In this way, they can advance coastal resilience on their own terms and adopt planning and adaptation initiatives that make the most sense for their situation.
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2022 DEMA is back in Orlando, FL
Mark you Calendars and make your reservations
November 1st through the 4th
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The Western Flyer Foundation stirs curiosity by connecting art, literature, and science, drawing from the collaborative vision of John Steinbeck and Edward F. Ricketts. The Foundation’s educational programs will provide creative outreach opportunities both on land and aboard theWestern Flyer. TheWestern Flyerwill offer free, at-sea experiential learning for school children from Alaska to Mexico.
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My Droll,In neighboring Monterey County, edging a national marine sanctuary, illegal dump sites also increased during the pandemic, said Ted Terassas
Cal Coast NewsThe proposed wind farm site was carved out of the original National Marine Sanctuary map
Sierra Sun Times-For 50 years, U.S. national marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments have protected areas with special ecological, cultural and historical
Shelbyville News-The group also visited the beaches of Santa Cruz for another beach clean up and toured the NOAA's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Clout News-episode 4 – Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, USA. episode 5 – Gunung Leuser, Indonesia. The other nominees for the narrator category
Visit Monterey... Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail · Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary · Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park · Pinnacles National Park
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2022 Sanctuary Advisory Meeting Schedule and Locations
August 19, 2022 - Virtual **
October 10, 2022- Virtual **
December 9, 2022 - Virtual **
** Depending on COVID restrictions **
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Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
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Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) is a federally protected marine area offshore of California's central coast. Stretching from Marin to Cambria, MBNMS encompasses a shorelinelength of 276 miles and 6,094square miles of ocean.
It is home to one of the world's most diverse marine ecosystems, including numerous mammals, seabirds, fishes, invertebrates and plants in a remarkably productive coastal environment.
MBNMS wasdesignated in 1992for the purpose of resource protection, research, education, and public use of this national treasure. MBNMS is part of a system of 14 National Marine Sanctuaries andtwo marine national monuments, administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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