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The Ocean Is Becoming Too Loud for Oysters

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Friday, July 26, 2024

Human noise pollution interferes with baby oysters’ natural acoustic cues, hindering their settlement. While acoustic technology can aid oyster recruitment in quieter areas, it is less effective in noisy environments. Researchers are optimistic about its use in less trafficked areas. Credit: Dominic McAfeeResearch from the University of Adelaide reveals that human-generated noise is hindering baby oysters’ ability to use natural sounds to find habitats, affecting marine conservation efforts. Although acoustic technology helps in quieter areas, its effectiveness is reduced in noisy urban settings.New research from the University of Adelaide indicates that baby oysters, which depend on natural acoustic cues to find suitable environments for settling, are being disrupted by noise pollution from human activities.“The ocean’s natural sound is gradually hushing due to habitat loss, leading to a quieter natural environment increasingly drowned out by the crescendo of man-made noise pollution,” explained lead author Dr Brittany Williams, from the University’s Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories. “Numerous marine larvae rely on natural sounds to navigate and select their dwellings, so this interference poses a problem for conservationists aiming to attract oysters to restored reefs using natural sounds.“Noises from shipping, machinery, and construction, for example, are pervasive and pose serious environmental change that affects both terrestrial and marine animals.”According to the research, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, marine organisms appear particularly vulnerable to the intensification of anthropogenic noise because they use sound for a range of activities, including to sense their surroundings, navigate, communicate, avoid predators, and find mates and food.Challenges and Limitations of Acoustic Technology“Our previous work demonstrated that novel acoustic technology can bolster oyster recruitment in habitat restoration projects, but this new research indicates potential limitations of this speaker technology,” said the University of Adelaide’s Dr Dominic McAfee, who was part of the research team.In environments where there is a lot of human noise pollution, the speakers did not increase larval recruitment.“This suggests that noise pollution might cloak the intrinsic sounds of the ocean, potentially exerting profound ramifications on marine ecosystem vitality and resilience,” said co-author Professor Sean Connell, from the University of Adelaide and the Environment Institute.While acoustic enrichment may be less effective along noisy metropolitan coastlines and urbanized waterways, the researchers are still optimistic about the application of the technique in less trafficked areas.“Where there is little anthropogenic noise, acoustic enrichment appears to enhance the process of recruitment which is key to restoration success,” said Dr Williams.Reference: “Anthropogenic noise disrupts acoustic cues for recruitment” by Brittany R. Williams, Dominic McAfee and Sean D. Connell, 1 July 2024, Proceedings B.DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0741

Research from the University of Adelaide reveals that human-generated noise is hindering baby oysters’ ability to use natural sounds to find habitats, affecting marine conservation...

Research from the University of Adelaide reveals that human-generated noise is hindering baby oysters’ ability to use natural sounds to find habitats, affecting marine conservation efforts. Although acoustic technology helps in quieter areas, its effectiveness is reduced in noisy urban settings.

New research from the University of Adelaide indicates that baby oysters, which depend on natural acoustic cues to find suitable environments for settling, are being disrupted by noise pollution from human activities.

“The ocean’s natural sound is gradually hushing due to habitat loss, leading to a quieter natural environment increasingly drowned out by the crescendo of man-made noise pollution,” explained lead author Dr Brittany Williams, from the University’s Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories.

“Numerous marine larvae rely on natural sounds to navigate and select their dwellings, so this interference poses a problem for conservationists aiming to attract oysters to restored reefs using natural sounds.

“Noises from shipping, machinery, and construction, for example, are pervasive and pose serious environmental change that affects both terrestrial and marine animals.”

According to the research, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, marine organisms appear particularly vulnerable to the intensification of anthropogenic noise because they use sound for a range of activities, including to sense their surroundings, navigate, communicate, avoid predators, and find mates and food.

Challenges and Limitations of Acoustic Technology

“Our previous work demonstrated that novel acoustic technology can bolster oyster recruitment in habitat restoration projects, but this new research indicates potential limitations of this speaker technology,” said the University of Adelaide’s Dr Dominic McAfee, who was part of the research team.

In environments where there is a lot of human noise pollution, the speakers did not increase larval recruitment.

“This suggests that noise pollution might cloak the intrinsic sounds of the ocean, potentially exerting profound ramifications on marine ecosystem vitality and resilience,” said co-author Professor Sean Connell, from the University of Adelaide and the Environment Institute.

While acoustic enrichment may be less effective along noisy metropolitan coastlines and urbanized waterways, the researchers are still optimistic about the application of the technique in less trafficked areas.

“Where there is little anthropogenic noise, acoustic enrichment appears to enhance the process of recruitment which is key to restoration success,” said Dr Williams.

Reference: “Anthropogenic noise disrupts acoustic cues for recruitment” by Brittany R. Williams, Dominic McAfee and Sean D. Connell, 1 July 2024, Proceedings B.
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0741

Read the full story here.

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1 of 2 Missing Victims of Labor Day Boat Crash Found Dead in Connecticut

Authorities have found the body of one of two men who remained missing four days after a boat carrying nine people crashed into a jetty along the Connecticut shoreline

OLD LYME, Conn. (AP) — Authorities on Friday found the body of one of two men who remained missing four days after a boat carrying nine people crashed into a jetty along the Connecticut shoreline.State environmental conservation police officers located the body in the mouth of the Connecticut River between Old Saybrook and Old Lyme shortly after noon, about a quarter-mile (four-tenths of a kilometer) from the site of the accident, Police Capt. Keith Williams said.The man's name was being withheld pending notification to his family, Williams said.The crash killed another man, Christopher Hallahan, 34, of Westbrook. Connecticut, and injured six other people who were taken to a hospital. Authorities continued searching Friday afternoon for the second missing man and planned to return Saturday if they don't find him.Authorities responded to the accident shortly after 9 p.m. on Monday and found the 31-foot (9-meter) motorboat half submerged and significantly damaged near an Old Saybrook marina where the river flows into Long Island Sound. Police said the boat struck a jetty at the mouth of the river. The cause of the crash is being investigated.The passengers were returning from a day trip to Block Island, Rhode Island, and it appeared none of them were wearing a life jacket, police said.The days-long search has involved divers, drones, aircraft, sonar and remote-operated underwater vehicles with cameras, Williams said.The accident happened near where another boat crashed on Labor Day 2023, sending four people to a hospital. Environmental conservation police pushed back at the suggestion that the spot is particularly hazardous.Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Photos You Should See - July 2024

Conservation

Water

Bunyip birds and brolgas: how can we better protect species important to Indigenous people?

For the Kamilaroi of north-western New South Wales, the brolga and bittern are vital to culture. But conservation often doesn’t account for cultural knowledge or significance.

Bradley Moggridge, Author providedKamilaroi Country lies in far northwest New South Wales, past Tamworth and crossing over the Queensland border. Here, the bunyip bird (Australasian bittern, Botaurus poiciloptilus), and the brolga (Grus rubicunda or burraalga in Kamilaroi) have been part of life, lore, spirit, dance and culture with Country for thousands of generations. In this Country, these two species are now rare. Kamilaroi people want to turn this around. But to do that, we come up against a gap between Western conservation laws and culturally significant species/entities. Under Australia’s conservation laws, a species is considered threatened when its numbers fall so low, or its distribution shrinks so much, it might not recover. But the threatened species legal protections – and any recovery funding it provides – are focused on the Western approach of countable nature, not the Indigenous focus on nature-with-culture. We are not splitting hairs. The difference is momentous, as we document in recent research. It determines whose environmental research and management is considered legitimate and resourced, and the terms on which knowledge is shared and exchanged. Understanding this helps find common ground between ecological and Indigenous priorities. It will also be crucial to the now-delayed major overhaul of Australia’s nature laws. Brolgas in a wetland in Victoria. Birdsaspoetry/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND Threatened species on Country To list a species as threatened under federal and New South Wales law, two things must be determined. The first is how many animals or plants of a given species are still in their habitat and how consistent this is over generations. Second is how widespread the species is compared to the past, and how much habitat is left. This formula – abundance plus distribution – determines if the species is in decline and if it needs urgent attention. Kamilaroi Country is home to the Gwydir wetlands, an immensely sacred place where brolgas and bunyip birds were once present in great numbers. Brolgas are known for their elaborate mating dances, and embodying their spirit is an important Indigenous dance. With long legs and necks, Brolgas are this continent’s largest water bird. But their presence has fallen sharply in southern Australia. These days, brolgas appear in the Kamilaroi wetlands less often. It’s also rarer to see or hear the well-hidden bunyip bird. The Kamilaroi believe the bittern’s’ booming cry signals the presence of the bunyip, a creature from ancestral times whose songs and stories keep people away from sacred water holes. Waterbirds flock to the Gwydir wetlands in their thousands. These wetlands form where the Gwydir river empties into an inland valley. Jor/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND Buruuugu (Dreaming) stories passed down from the old people connect these birds with Kamilaroi people and freshwater life, encompassing culture, lore, language, dance, meaning and existence. The brolga is listed as vulnerable in New South Wales and the bunyip bird is endangered. Both species have been found or their presence predicted in regions close to Kamilaroi Country. Because these species are present close by, it makes it harder for Kamilaroi people to access Country, government funding, resources and protections for these species. The problem is worse where culturally significant species / entities are generally abundant, but on a shrunken range. Species important to Indigenous people may be lost entirely from Country where they belong, yet government programs offer very few options for protection or resources. When one plus one does not equal two There is a growing openness among ecologists, governments and Western land managers to foreground and include Indigenous knowledge in decision making, Indigenous people are ready and waiting. This respectful knowledge exchange is often called two-way learning. It’s common to think of these different value sets as additive: ecological values plus Indigenous values equals better conservation. At times, reports on threatened species will include a section on Aboriginal people’s cultural values. And Indigenous caring for Country is seen as a vital tool in the toolkit for recovering threatened species. But Kamilaroi knowledge is not just a management tool. And these species are not separate from the people who care for them. For Kamilaroi, the brolga and the bunyip bird are culture and kin. This is not nature plus culture, two categories alongside each other, but nature with culture – a transformation rather than an addition. Typically these two categories are divided for study and management, as in the natural and social sciences. But Country weaves nature and culture together and focuses on which relationships are important and why. From this viewpoint, ecological species and habitats become folded into Country, which also includes its people. Bunyip bird at rest: the Australasian bittern is hard to spot – but unmistakable if you hear it. Imogen Warren/Shutterstock So what do we suggest? Our current conservation policies look for ways for Indigenous peoples to fit in with biodiversity conservation approaches. Instead, we need to find protections and resources to support Indigenous people’s knowledge and relationships with Country. The significant growth of Indigenous Protected Areas is a start, as these large areas of land and sea are managed by Indigenous groups and rangers. But we need our environmental laws, reporting frameworks and levels of resourcing to include support for Indigenous governance across their systems. These matters go well beyond protected area boundaries. It could mean writing laws to recognise and invest in culturally significant species under Indigenous guidance. It could mean programs supporting Indigenous peoples to set their own priorities and measures of success for Country and culture, and set the terms of how knowledge about Country is used and exchanged. And it could mean flipping governance so conservation is increasingly led by Indigenous people, to be the voice for and with responsibilities to Country – the enfolded relationships of brolga and bunyip bird and Kamilaroi people – at the fore rather than an afterthought. When the migrating brolga arrives in the Gwydir Wetlands to perform its hopping, swooping dance, to nest and mate, you get an ecological outcome: a vulnerable species is breeding. But you can also witness how and why the world’s oldest living culture keeps brolgas close, as kin. The authorship order for citing this article is Moggridge, Weir, Morgain and Moon. Bradley J. Moggridge is affiliated with the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, the Freshwater Science Society and The Biodiversity Council Jessica Weir is a member of the NSW Bushfire and Natural Hazards Research Centre. 󠁡Rachel Morgain has received funding from the Australian and Victorian Governments, Australian Conservation Foundation, Bush Heritage Australia and The Nature Conservancy. She is affiliated with the Biodiversity Council and consults with NRM Regions Australia.Katie Moon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Conservation

Culture

Indigenous

33 new field rangers join SANParks team at Kruger National Park

SANParks has announced 33 new field rangers for the Kruger National Park who were inaugurated at the passing out parade at Skukuza. The post 33 new field rangers join SANParks team at Kruger National Park appeared first on SA People.

The South African National Parks (SANParks) has introduced 33 new field rangers for the Kruger National Park (KNP), who were officially inaugurated during a passing out parade held on Tuesday at Skukuza. The 33 graduates are part of the recruits who went through a rigorous pre-selection and selection process, followed by a six-week Basic Field Ranger Training course. The new recruits will provide the much-needed boost to the current team of ranger corps and should be seen as a necessary measure to support Law Enforcement and Biodiversity Conservation efforts in the park, giving invaluable support to the men and women working on the ground. New recruits will be deployed with immediate effect The pre-selection and selection process which took place in July 2024 required hopeful trainees to undergo physical fitness screening, evaluations and interviews, cognitive and aptitude tests. They also had to portray a dedicated attitude, as well as a commitment to teamwork to qualify for the job. The 33 field rangers who succeeded, completed the holistic intense six weeks training which led to the passing out parade. Their deployment to the various sections throughout the park is with immediate effect. Kruger National Park is divided into 22 ranger sections It is an absolute must that SANParks prioritises the protection of this heritage and ensures that the total control of the protected area is managed by those tasked with the upkeep of the area integrity. Under Ranger Services, the Kruger National Park is divided into 22 ranger sections, each section managed by a Section Ranger who is supported by a group of field rangers. Over and above these 22 sections, there are Regional Rangers who manage a number of ranger sections, the Environmental Crime Investigations Unit, Protection Services, Special Operations Unit, K9 unit and Air Services Unit who all support the parks Law Enforcement and Biodiversity Conservation objectives. The park is further supported by SAPS and the SAPS Stock Theft and Endangered Species unit based in Skukuza. The post 33 new field rangers join SANParks team at Kruger National Park appeared first on SA People.

Conservation

Pope Francis Receives Symbolic Environmental Gift from Costa Rica

During his flight to Indonesia, Pope Francis greeted journalists and received several gifts, including a glove from a young Costa Rican Catholic who has been dedicated to cleaning and collecting garbage from the country’s beaches, contributing significantly to environmental conservation. Eva Fernández, a journalist from Spain’s COPE network, presented the gift to Pope Francis. She explained that the glove was intended to remind the Pope of Costa Rica’s commitment to environmental protection, particularly as he prepares to visit countries where plastic pollution in the waters is a major issue. “When our team considered sending the Pope a gesture related to nature conservation and the biodiversity that characterizes our country, we decided on a glove from a volunteer—one of the many who clean rivers and beaches in Costa Rica. We placed it in a small wooden box, accompanied by some of the garbage collected from the beaches as a symbolic gesture, with Costa Rican artist Paula Sáenz painting the sea and overseeing the final touches,” said Lisandra Chaves, Executive Secretary of Communication for the Episcopal Conference of Costa Rica. The glove was donated by Fabián Leandro, representing the many Costa Rican volunteers dedicated to preserving the environment, particularly through beach and river cleanups. The gift was accompanied by an explanation highlighting Costa Rica’s marine richness. A Glove for the Blue Jewel Costa Rica is a marine-rich country, with 51,030 km² of land and 572,877 km² of marine area, meaning 92% of the nation is sea. Beneath these waters lie several seamounts and the longest volcanic mountain range in the country, the Cordillera Submarina del Coco, which extends approximately 800 km. Costa Rica boasts the highest density of biodiversity in the world. Costa Rica’s marine area borders four countries: Nicaragua, Panama, Ecuador, and Colombia. The region is home to 3.5% of the world’s marine biodiversity, with 6,700 marine species identified, 90 of which are endemic, making it a precious “blue jewel.” The oceans are a critical source of food, producing more than 50% of the oxygen we breathe and capturing 30% of the carbon dioxide emissions produced over the last 200 years. Thousands of volunteers in Costa Rica regularly participate in cleanup efforts across different parts of the country, including the North Pacific, Central Valley, Central Pacific, and Caribbean regions. Many local organizations and companies unite to combat single-use plastic pollution on beaches, rivers, parks, and ultimately, the oceans surrounding Costa Rica. During these cleanup efforts, more than 20 tons of waste can be collected. The initiative also aims to raise awareness about plastic use and disposal. This work glove belonged to one of those thousands of volunteers, Fabián Leandro, a young Catholic who used it to clean and collect garbage from Costa Rican beaches. Costa Rica has a significant number of volunteers dedicated to cleaning up garbage from rivers and beaches. It is estimated that only 19.9% of discarded plastic is recycled, and by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the oceans. This glove symbolizes all the people dedicated to caring for the environment, working to preserve Costa Rica’s natural treasures, and preventing further contamination of our seas. The post Pope Francis Receives Symbolic Environmental Gift from Costa Rica appeared first on The Tico Times | Costa Rica News | Travel | Real Estate.

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Which 2024 California bills will Gavin Newsom sign into law?

For California laws, the buck does really stop at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. While the Legislature approves hundreds of bills each session — and will add to that list before adjourning Saturday — Newsom decides whether they become law. As of Aug. 15, Newsom had signed 164 bills and vetoed four. He has until Sept. 30 to decide on bills passed in the final days; he sometimes waits until right before the deadline to weigh in on contentious ones. Newsom gives a few typical reasons for vetoing bills: He deems them redundant, or calculates that their potential cost threatens to worsen the state’s budget situation. But he also blocks bills because they’re controversial, or opposed by powerful special interests. Last year, Newsom vetoed 156 bills and signed 890, or about 15%, a similar ratio as in 2022, when he blocked some very significant ones. In 2021, he vetoed less than 8%. While the Legislature can override vetoes, it takes a two-thirds vote in both the Assembly and Senate and that rarely happens. Governors can also allow bills to become law without their signature, but that doesn’t occur very often, either. Here are some noteworthy bills being tracked by CalMatters reporters. Bookmark this page for updates. Allow civilian officers to testify Share by Email Share on Twitter Share on Facebook An officer walks to his car at the Alameda Police Department in Alameda on Aug. 28, 2023. Photo by Semantha Norris, CalMatters By Ryan Sabalow WHAT THE BILL WOULD DO Senate Bill 804 would allow community service officers — uniformed police department civilian employees who don’t have arrest powers — to testify at preliminary hearings where authorities present evidence to a judge who decides whether to move ahead with a full felony trial. Witnesses or victims are still required to testify in a trial. As it stands, only sworn officers are allowed to testify at “prelims,” despite community service officers often taking witness statements at crime scenes and during investigations. WHO SUPPORTS IT The Redding Police Department brought the issue to the attention of the region’s senator, Republican Brian Dahle, arguing that as police budgets shrink, community services officers should be allowed to testify to free up sworn officers for other duties. The California State Sheriffs Association, the California Police Chiefs Association, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and the state’s police union support the legislation. Proponents say that it would keep officers from having to re-interview witnesses. Plus, they argue that having fewer armed officers interacting with witnesses helps address concerns about over-policing in communities of color. WHO IS OPPOSED ACLU California Action, criminal defense attorneys, including the California Public Defenders Association, and social justice groups opposed the legislation. They argue that the changes could lead to shoddy testimony being admitted into legal proceedings where a suspect’s freedom is on the line. They argue that preliminary hearings are already tilted in the favor of police and prosecutors. “The bottom line is that preliminary hearings are so problematic right now,” Ignacio Hernández of California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, told the Assembly Public Safety Committee this summer. WHY IT MATTERS Since 1990, the state’s population has grown by nearly 10 million people, yet the numbers of California’s sworn patrol officers have dropped to below where they were in 1991, according to a recent report from the Public Policy Institute of California. Sworn officer staffing shortages are particularly prevalent in rural areas such as those in Dahle’s sprawling Senate district in northeastern California. At the same time, in the wake of high-profile cases of unjustified police violence, social justice advocates have been urging California lawmakers and local governments to scale back the numbers of armed police patrolling communities of color. Some communities are deploying unarmed social or mental-health workers trained to defuse confrontations in situations where armed officers used to be the sole respondents. GOVERNOR’S CALL © 2024 CalMatters Expedite gender-affirming care licenses Share by Email Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Buttons with different pronouns at the We Care Health Fair in San Diego on May 18, 2024. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters By Jenna Peterson WHAT THE BILL WOULD DO AB 2442, authored by Los Angeles Democrat Rick Chavez Zbur, would speed up the licensure process for gender-affirming healthcare providers. The bill does not change the requirements to get a license; rather it prioritizes applicants who intend to practice gender-affirming healthcare or gender-affirming mental health care. As part of a package of new laws on abortion access, the legislature passed a similar law in 2022 to expedite licenses for abortion service providers after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade. AB 2442 has a sunset clause, so the legislature would reevaluate the need for the bill in four years. WHO SUPPORTS IT Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California and Equality California are sponsors of the bill, which also has support from organizations that support LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive justice and healthcare access. WHO IS OPPOSED The California Family Council, Our Duty Democrat, Protect Kids Initiative and Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids Advocacy are recorded opponents of AB 2442. The latter group says that other providers should also get expedited licensing, and that the bill could hurt other areas of medicine. Instead, they want to add more staff to the Department of Consumer Affairs so that all medical providers can get licensed more efficiently. The other organizations have concerns about the safety of children undergoing gender reassignment surgery or hormone therapy before their brains fully develop, saying it could harm mental health and lead to infertility. WHY IT MATTERS Twenty-six states have passed laws that ban gender-affirming care. In a 2022 survey by the National Center for Transgender Equality, 47% of transgender respondents said they had considered moving to another state because of these laws. In California, patients seeking gender-affirming care at Stanford Medical Center often have to wait six to eight months to get an appointment. Supporters say AB 2442 would allow California to keep up with the demand from out-of-state patients while continuing to support in-state patients. In 2022, California passed a law protecting those receiving or providing such treatment from prosecution by other states. GOVERNOR’S CALL © 2024 CalMatters Stop multiple campaigns by candidates Share by Email Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Assemblymember Vince Fong speaks before the Assembly at the Capitol in Sacramento on June 13, 2022. Photo by Rich Pedroncelli, AP Photo By Sameea Kamal WHAT THE BILL WOULD DO AB 1784 by Democratic Assemblymembers Gail Pellerin and Wendy Carrillo clarifies state law to prevent candidates from filing papers for more than one office in a primary election. It also allows people to withdraw their candidacy until the filing deadline, which they currently can’t do. The bill does not apply to candidates for statewide office, and clarifies that withdrawal is final. WHO SUPPORTS IT The bill is supported by Secretary of State Shirley Weber, the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials and California’s League of Women Voters, which said that having someone on the ballot twice can confuse voters and undermine confidence in elections. It could also lead to costly special elections if a candidate wins both contests, the group said. WHO IS OPPOSED There is no registered opposition on file WHY IT MATTERS This bill seeks to address the very specific debacle that resulted from Assemblymember Vince Fong putting his hat in the ring after Rep. Kevin McCarthy stepped down from Congress. Fong was already on the primary ballot to run for re-election in his Assembly district, so the Secretary of State tried to stop him from running for a second office. Fong sued, and won. Authors of the bill want to clarify for future elections that dual candidacies are prohibited. GOVERNOR’S CALL © 2024 CalMatters Declare three more state symbols Share by Email Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Black abalone. Photo by Nathaniel Fletcher, California Conservation Genomics Project By Jenna Peterson WHAT THE BILLS WOULD DO AB 2504 would designate the shell of the black abalone — an endangered marine snail — as California’s official state seashell. AB 1797 would name the Dungeness crab the state crustacean. And AB 1850 would recognize the banana slug as the state slug. These would be the latest additions to the state’s 44 official symbols. WHO SUPPORTS THEM The shell bill was authored by Assemblymember Diane Dixon, a Republican from Newport Beach who notes that the black abalone has an important history to Native American tribes in Southern California, who have used the shell for trading and ceremony regalia and eaten the snail for thousands of years. The crab measure was authored by Assemblymember Jim Wood, a Ukiah Democrat. And the slug bill came from Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, a Santa Cruz Democrat. All three bills won overwhelming support in the Legislature. WHO IS OPPOSED There is no recorded opposition from advocacy groups to any of the three bills. Assemblymember Tom Lackey, a Republican from Palmdale, was the lone vote against the slug bill, but “in good fun.” WHY IT MATTERS The National Marine Fisheries Service designated the black abalone as an endangered species in 2009, as it faces environmental threats such as overfishing, disease and natural disasters. Lawmakers hope the designation will help Californians be more aware of those dangers. The Dungeness crab was chosen because of its positive impact on the commercial fishing industry and coastal economies. Pellerin chose the banana slug not only because it’s the mascot of University of California, Santa Cruz, but it also symbolizes California’s biological diversity. GOVERNOR’S CALLS © 2024 CalMatters

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Clear Day Thunder: Rescuing the American Chestnut

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Armed with realistic bird puppets, trickster environmental activists pretend to be oil company Total—staging a satirical press conference to introduce "RéHabitat," a program to rescue animals from the East African Oil Pipeline by relocating them to “more sustainable” habitats. Using humor and mischief, they expose a deadly ecological disaster in a zany effort to help #StopEACOP.

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Animals

Crisis

The state of water in the world is critical, but the relationship between a man and a fish that are in story is more critical.

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Set at the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center, Port Aransas, Texas, the film is supportive of the international efforts to utilize wastewater treatment facilities as bird sanctuaries. The film features an original jazz score and commentary by naturalist Jeff Anderson and provides a glimpse of some of the diversity of bird life found along the Texas Coast while conjuring a Zen-like union with nature.

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The Cost of Sand highlights the potential destruction of a crucial bio-link on the edge of the Ramsar wetlands from proposed expansion of sandmining in Bass Coast, Victoria. It features interviews with scientists and conservationists about the significance of preserving the last remnant coastal bushland in the region and the vulnerable wildlife and ecosystems it supports.

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The Ocean Is Becoming Too Loud for Oysters

Challenges and Limitations of Acoustic Technology

Related News

1 of 2 Missing Victims of Labor Day Boat Crash Found Dead in Connecticut

Bunyip birds and brolgas: how can we better protect species important to Indigenous people?

33 new field rangers join SANParks team at Kruger National Park

Pope Francis Receives Symbolic Environmental Gift from Costa Rica

Which 2024 California bills will Gavin Newsom sign into law?

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The Ocean Is Becoming Too Loud for Oysters

Challenges and Limitations of Acoustic Technology

Related News

1 of 2 Missing Victims of Labor Day Boat Crash Found Dead in Connecticut

Bunyip birds and brolgas: how can we better protect species important to Indigenous people?

33 new field rangers join SANParks team at Kruger National Park

Pope Francis Receives Symbolic Environmental Gift from Costa Rica

Which 2024 California bills will Gavin Newsom sign into law?

Suggested Viewing

Clear Day Thunder: Rescuing the American Chestnut

Total Disaster

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Primal State

The Cost of Sand

Join us to forgea sustainable future

sign up for our mailing list to stay informed on the latest films and environmental headlines.

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