Coastal Restoration
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Coastal Restoration
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Coastal management and restoration of our planet's coastlines with a particular focus on California, Louisiana and the Pacific.  Emphasizing wetland restoration, aspects of agriculture in the coastal plain, fisheries, dealing with coastal hazards, and effective governance.
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Teed off: Critics say Trump water rule helps his golf links

Teed off: Critics say Trump water rule helps his golf links | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
From www.sun-sentinel.com - March 8, 2017 1:51 AM

#GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump's recent executive order calling for a review of a rule protecting small bodies of water from pollution and development is strongly supported by golf course owners who are wary of being forced into expensive cleanups on their fairways.

It just so happens that Trump's business holdings include a dozen golf courses in the United States, and critics say his executive order is par for the course: yet another unseemly conflict of interest that would result in a benefit to Trump properties if it goes through.

“This conflict is disturbing and his failure to completely step away from his business raises questions about his White House actions,” said Scott Amey, general counsel for the Project on Government Oversight."


Via pdeppisch
PIRatE Lab's insight:
Another example of intentionally divisive rhetoric: "regulatory state," "intrusion from regulators," and such terms serve to reinforce a false dichotomy that regulation serves only to harm people.
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Disney Cuts Crocodile Joke From Jungle Cruise After Child's Death

Disney Cuts Crocodile Joke From Jungle Cruise After Child's Death | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
From www.hollywoodreporter.com - July 5, 2016 12:03 PM
The one-liner — part of a Disney-approved script that many park fans know by heart — involves the Jungle Cruise captain warning parents to "watch your children, or the crocodiles will."
PIRatE Lab's insight:
It will be interesting to see how the park reacts over the long-term to this horrific tragedy.  Clearly they will be doing something different with their visitor-nature interface.  Disney very much likes its "Disneyfication" of nature, presenting it in a controlled manner that only offers fun/positive images.  The only threats are from evil-doers and their associated minions.  But when you have put your theme park on the edge of what used to be one of the most expansive wetland ecosystems on the planet, you sometimes get wetlands (including all its diverse flora and fauna) on your vacation.  We have done a smashingly good job of banning much of this nature to the wayside and taming what we could't easily banish.  But sometimes even nature creeps in.

Shootings in Orlando, Zika coming on strong, drought like no one alive has yet seen, and now threats to toddlers from the still living wetland community.  They have a tough road to haul.

But one thing is for sure: No more crocodilian jokes on the Jungle Cruise.
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The Woodlands Conservancy Preserves An Endangered Ecosystem

The Woodlands Conservancy Preserves An Endangered Ecosystem | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
From wwno.org - April 4, 2015 5:20 PM
Woodlands Conservancy is creating a legacy for future generations by preserving and developing an ecosystem of coastal hardwood forest dedicated to public
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Ormond Beach plan wows, but long road remains

Ormond Beach plan wows, but long road remains | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
From www.vcstar.com - November 4, 2014 10:11 PM
It's only a concept, but gorgeous renderings show a possible UC research center near Ormond Beach recently inspired many at an Oxnard City Council meeting.
PIRatE Lab's insight:

From south Oxnard’s rugged coastline, wetlands give way to well-groomed agricultural fields ringed, crescent-moon style, by sleek buildings edging up to Hueneme Road.

 

Such a vision for a possible University of California research center was recently presented to the Oxnard City Council.

The conceptual plan, funded by the California State Coastal Conservancy, showed how the conservancy’s wetlands restoration effort at Ormond Beach could dovetail with a possible UC Agriculture Research and Education Center. Colorful maps and renderings filled wire-bound, glossy books made available to the public at the meeting.

 

The idea generated gushing praise along with a dose of cautious realism. UC, for starters, isn’t yet formally on board. Then there’s the problem of uniting diverse interests for a yearslong, massively expensive effort.

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Secret lives of Great Swamp's otters, coyotes and more revealed

Secret lives of Great Swamp's otters, coyotes and more revealed | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
From www.dailyrecord.com - February 12, 2014 4:30 AM
Cameras in the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge are capturing the hidden lives of river otters, coyotes, foxes and other animals rarely seen in suburban New Jersey.
PIRatE Lab's insight:

Another example of the value of camera traps.  These tools are becoming the norm.

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Environment Agency Accused Of 20 Years Of Negligence | NOT A ...

Environment Agency Accused Of 20 Years Of Negligence | NOT A ... | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
From notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com - January 30, 2014 10:31 AM
The head of the Environment Agency has admitted dredging is likely to go ahead in the Somerset Levels to prevent further flooding, amid claims the region has become a “disaster area” due to decades of under-investment.
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EPA, Corps Say Benefits of Protecting Wetlands, Streams Far Outweigh Costs

EPA, Corps Say Benefits of Protecting Wetlands, Streams Far Outweigh Costs | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
From www.bna.com - December 15, 2013 3:00 AM

Subjecting an additional 3 percent of U.S. waters and wetlands to Clean Water Act regulation would yield nearly twice as much in benefits as it would cost affected industries, according to a cost-benefit analysis of a draft rule obtained by Bloomberg BNA.

 

A joint analysis by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shows that the benefits of implementing the draft rule asserting Clean Water Act jurisdiction over the nation's waters and wetlands would range from $300.7 million to $397.6 million annually, while the costs would be between $133.7 million and $200 million.


Via SustainOurEarth
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Stunning Aerial Attack: Peregrine Falcon Snatches Hapless Willet

Stunning Aerial Attack: Peregrine Falcon Snatches Hapless Willet | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
From www.environmentalgraffiti.com - November 26, 2013 11:22 PM

It’s an overcast day in Solano Beach, Southern California, and a thrilling scene is unfolding in the surf. A predator that rules the skies is hunting its prey, using its superior strength and speed to overcome its victim.

PIRatE Lab's insight:

A working ecosystem is both wondrous and beautiful.

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Salmon on rice: finding a delicious balance between Sacramento Valley farmers and fish

Salmon on rice: finding a delicious balance between Sacramento Valley farmers and fish | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
From www.latimes.com - December 9, 2016 8:19 AM
An unusual project in the Sacramento Valley makes allies out of rice farmers and scientists trying to save endangered Chinook salmon.
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Tijuana River reopened after blockage kills sharks, floods streets

Tijuana River reopened after blockage kills sharks, floods streets | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
From www.sandiegouniontribune.com - May 3, 2016 12:20 PM
Some streets in Imperial Beach were flooded over the weekend with sewage-contaminated water after the mouth of the Tijuana River that opens into the ocean was blocked due to sand creating an overflowing, stagnant pool of water that killed some wildlife and endangered others.
PIRatE Lab's insight:
You may have heard that the Tijuana River Mouth closed to tidal circulation on around March 28th, 2016. The last time a closure happened was during the 1983 El Niño year. Storm surges and currents deposited sand from the north to block the mouth of the river again this year. Many of the other lagoons in the County close every year because their rivermouths are restricted by the coast highway and railroad. 

In 2012, approximately 30 acres -three feet tall- of sand were deposited on the beaches in Imperial Beach north of the estuary as part of the SANDAG 2012 Regional Beach Sand Project. This material contributed to the mouth closure. According to our data logger near the end of Seacoast Drive in Imperial Beach (see below), the level of dissolved oxygen in the water, critical for fish to breathe, started to decrease around April 7th. That happened because no oxygenated ocean water was entering the marsh. Then the estuary became flooded with polluted water from runoff from the watershed. This water started to flood the south end of Seacoast Drive during the evening of April 10th. The river mouth was reopened on April 11th, using heavy equipment to move enough sand to let the perched water flow out to sea (see above).  

This closure resulted in poor water quality conditions as over 1000 acres -one foot tall- of sewage contaminated water flooded the estuary with runoff from the watershed. This caused the dissolved oxygen (DO) in the water to drop to zero (milligrams per liter) (see DO graph below) and a widespread die off of fishes and invertebrates in the estuary followed including several leopard and smoothhound sharks and shovel-nosed guitar fish. After only 19 days, however, the river mouth was blocked off again on April 30th (see the Depth graph leveling off) so Refuge staff is staying on top of it to attempt to keep it open.
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Biodiversity offset markets: What are they really? An empirical approach to wetland mitigation banking

Biodiversity offset markets: What are they really? An empirical approach to wetland mitigation banking | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
From www.sciencedirect.com - January 18, 2015 10:08 AM

How might we use offsets for existing or future impacts to biological diversity via mitigation banks?

PIRatE Lab's insight:

See also:


Amrei von Hase, Andrew Cooke, Aristide Andrianarimisa, Rivolala Andriamparany, Vanessa Mass, Robin Mitchell, Kerry ten Kate 2015 Working towards NNL of Biodiversity and Beyond Ambatovy, Madagascar – A Case Study (2014). - Forest Trends, Ambatovy, Wildlife Conservation Society. 59 p. 
http://www.forest-trends.org/documents/files/doc_4813.pdf

ten Kate, K. and Crowe, M.2014. Biodiversity Offsets: Policy options for governments. An input paper for the IUCN Technical Study Group on Biodiversity Offsets. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. 91pp. 
http://www.forest-trends.org/documents/files/doc_4777.pdf

IUCN 2014 Biodiversity Offsets Technical Study Paper. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. 65pp. 
http://www.forest-trends.org/documents/files/doc_4779.pdf

Pilgrim, J. & Ekstrom, J. 2014. Technical conditions for positive outcomes from biodiversity offsets. An input paper for the IUCN Technical Study Group on Biodiversity Offsets. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. 46pp. 
http://www.forest-trends.org/documents/files/doc_4776.pdf

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Salt Marsh Lamb

From dgdaviesbutchers.co.uk - June 3, 2014 10:14 AM
For locally sourced, delicious organic salt marsh lamb that can be bought instore or delivered, call 01766 770239 (Our 1st of the season #saltmarsh 4 sale soon @BwydCymru @FoodCymru and D G Davies Penrhyn http://t.co/xJOLgZApfO)...
PIRatE Lab's insight:

Just to be clear: our salt marshes should be growing birds and fish and plants....not sheep.

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Environment loses out in Russia's race to Sochi

Environment loses out in Russia's race to Sochi | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
From www.google.com - February 8, 2014 10:59 AM

CaSochi — Just outside the Olympic Park in Sochi, where the Winter Games open on Friday, is a green space with benches, artificial ponds and a couple of hides. "Ornithological Park", the sign declares.

PIRatE Lab's insight:

A classic example of the loincloth approach to ecological restoration. I believe that this type of farcical, disingenuous restoration actually hurts much more than it helps.  

 

Firstly, we do not get the ecological benefits or a healthy ecosystem nor the "holding the line" benefits of actual mitigation for the impact in question.  Secondly, this gives the impression that rules and regulations to offset impacts are merely a tax or largess for a select few "enviros" or consulting firms; everyone can see that this is disingenuous and will ultimately fail to come anywhere near the stated goal(s).  As such, ecological restoration comes to be seen as just another special interest wherein the actors are simply out for themselves and not the greater good.

 

See also: http://grist.org/news/sochi-olympics-are-bad-for-environment-and-locals-alike/

and

http://www.ecorazzi.com/2014/02/05/russias-winter-olympics-an-environmental-disaster/

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Court orders logging company to clean up pollution disaster in Chile wetlands

Court orders logging company to clean up pollution disaster in Chile wetlands | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
From www.bluechannel24.com - January 21, 2014 7:49 PM
When the World Wildlife Fund’s Global Toxic Program visited in 2005, they found only four swans in the sanctuary from what was estimated to have been 4,000 previously. What had caused it? Autopsies...

Via AimForGood
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15 Photos of Spiders Battling Dangerous Foes

15 Photos of Spiders Battling Dangerous Foes | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
From www.environmentalgraffiti.com - November 26, 2013 11:25 PM

Half of all women and 10% of all men show signs of arachnophobia, according to some data. In many ways, this is unfortunate, as spiders play an important ecological role, whether through feeding on insect pests or serving as prey for other creatures like birds and fish.

PIRatE Lab's insight:

We are doing more work with spiders as indicators of ecological functioning across many systems, but especially coastal and riparian wetlands.  Spiders are key predators in many systems.

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