Natural History of San Francisco Bay (Volume 102) (California Natural History Guides)

This complete primer on San Francisco Bay is a multifaceted exploration of an extraordinary, and remarkably resilient, body of water. Bustling with oil tankers, laced with pollutants, and crowded with forty-six cities, the bay is still home to healthy eelgrass beds, young Dungeness crabs and sharks, and millions of waterbirds. Written in an entertaining style for a wide audience, __Natural History of San Francisco Bay__ delves into an array of topics including fish and wildlife, ocean and climate cycles, endangered and invasive species, and the path from industrialization to environmental restoration. More than sixty scientists, activists, and resource managers share their views and describe their work—tracing mercury through the aquatic ecosystem, finding ways to convert salt ponds back to tidal wetlands, anticipating the repercussions of climate change, and more. Fully illustrated and packed with stories, quotes, and facts, the guide also tells how San Francisco Bay sparked an environmental movement that now reaches across the country. Contents......Page 8 Prologue......Page 12 Acknowledgments......Page 14 Taking the Plunge......Page 16 An Ever-Changing Environment......Page 19 Saving the Bay......Page 21 Inside and Out......Page 23 Beneath the Surface: What Is an Estuary?......Page 28 Geography and Geology......Page 32 Fresh and Salt Mix......Page 36 Rivers......Page 38 Creeks and Drainages......Page 44 Bays within the Bay......Page 45 Tides, Offshore Currents, and Upwelling......Page 47 Water Layers and Flows......Page 50 Wind, Waves, and Erosion......Page 55 Sediment......Page 56 Weather and Ocean Cycles......Page 60 Climate over Millennia......Page 63 Conclusion......Page 65 Visible and Invisible Life: Fish, Birds, and Other Wildlife......Page 68 Living Conditions......Page 71 Plants......Page 82 Bottom-dwellers......Page 89 Fish......Page 93 Mammals......Page 107 Birds......Page 110 Conclusion......Page 118 History of Human Changes: 1800s–1960s......Page 120 Earliest Inhabitants......Page 123 Explorers, Missionaries, and Hunters......Page 126 The Allure of Gold......Page 128 Fighting Floods......Page 132 Reclaiming Swamps......Page 133 Farms and Towns Expand......Page 135 Fishing for a Living......Page 137 Culturing Oysters......Page 142 Fish and Wildlife Protection......Page 143 Industrialized Fishing......Page 145 Bay and Riverfront Enterprise......Page 147 Transportation Facilities......Page 149 Controlling Water Supply and Floods......Page 153 Growing through War......Page 159 Conclusion......Page 162 The Environmental Backlash: 1960s–Present......Page 164 Stopping Fill......Page 167 Clean Water......Page 172 Preventing Spills and Runoff......Page 177 Emerging Contaminants......Page 181 Curing the Throwaway Habit......Page 186 Last of the Fishing......Page 188 Maintaining Ports and Shipping......Page 192 A Place for Wetlands and Wildlife......Page 195 Warring over Water......Page 205 Caring for Urban Creeks......Page 212 Preventing Invasions......Page 214 A Few Bad Actors......Page 217 Synergistic Problems......Page 220 Conclusion......Page 222 Restoration Frontiers: The Watershed......Page 224 Historical Milestones......Page 227 Key Ingredients: A Riparian Recipe......Page 229 The Big River Projects......Page 231 The Delta and Shallows......Page 233 Water Rights for the Ecosystem......Page 234 Production or Conservation Hatcheries?......Page 238 Reviving Bay Creeks......Page 240 Bringing Back the Steelhead......Page 245 Conserving and Recycling Water......Page 247 Conclusion......Page 250 Restoration Frontiers: The Bay......Page 252 Historical Milestones......Page 255 Key Ingredients: A Wetland Recipe......Page 261 The Marin Shore......Page 267 North Bay Hayfields......Page 271 South Bay Salt Ponds Reborn......Page 277 Weeding by Satellite......Page 283 Underwater Restoration......Page 289 Central Bay Eelgrass Beds......Page 291 Oysters Back in the Bay?......Page 294 Building a Healthy Ethic......Page 296 Conclusion......Page 299 Climate Change and the Bay’s Future......Page 300 Climate Change Basics......Page 303 The Bay’s Vulnerabilities......Page 305 Wetlands as Buffers......Page 309 Adaptation......Page 311 Coda......Page 314 D......Page 318 R......Page 319 W......Page 320 Historical Timeline......Page 322 References......Page 328 Learning More, Helping Out: A Few Places to Start......Page 335 Art Credits......Page 338 B......Page 340 C......Page 341 F......Page 342 L......Page 343 O......Page 344 R......Page 345 S......Page 346 U......Page 347 Z......Page 348 Contents 8 Prologue 12 Acknowledgments 14 Taking the Plunge 16 An Ever-Changing Environment 19 Saving the Bay 21 Inside and Out 23 Beneath the Surface: What Is an Estuary? 28 Geography and Geology 32 Fresh and Salt Mix 36 Rivers 38 Creeks and Drainages 44 Bays within the Bay 45 Tides, Offshore Currents, and Upwelling 47 Water Layers and Flows 50 Wind, Waves, and Erosion 55 Sediment 56 Weather and Ocean Cycles 60 Climate over Millennia 63 Conclusion 65 Visible and Invisible Life: Fish, Birds, and Other Wildlife 68 Living Conditions 71 Plants 82 Bottom-dwellers 89 Fish 93 Mammals 107 Birds 110 Conclusion 118 History of Human Changes: 1800s–1960s 120 Earliest Inhabitants 123 Explorers, Missionaries, and Hunters 126 The Allure of Gold 128 Fighting Floods 132 Reclaiming Swamps 133 Farms and Towns Expand 135 Fishing for a Living 137 Culturing Oysters 142 Fish and Wildlife Protection 143 Industrialized Fishing 145 Bay and Riverfront Enterprise 147 Transportation Facilities 149 Controlling Water Supply and Floods 153 Growing through War 159 Conclusion 162 The Environmental Backlash: 1960s–Present 164 Stopping Fill 167 Clean Water 172 Preventing Spills and Runoff 177 Emerging Contaminants 181 Curing the Throwaway Habit 186 Last of the Fishing 188 Maintaining Ports and Shipping 192 A Place for Wetlands and Wildlife 195 Warring over Water 205 Caring for Urban Creeks 212 Preventing Invasions 214 A Few Bad Actors 217 Synergistic Problems 220 Conclusion 222 Restoration Frontiers: The Watershed 224 Historical Milestones 227 Key Ingredients: A Riparian Recipe 229 The Big River Projects 231 The Delta and Shallows 233 Water Rights for the Ecosystem 234 Production or Conservation Hatcheries? 238 Reviving Bay Creeks 240 Bringing Back the Steelhead 245 Conserving and Recycling Water 247 Conclusion 250 Restoration Frontiers: The Bay 252 Historical Milestones 255 Key Ingredients: A Wetland Recipe 261 The Marin Shore 267 North Bay Hayfields 271 South Bay Salt Ponds Reborn 277 Weeding by Satellite 283 Underwater Restoration 289 Central Bay Eelgrass Beds 291 Oysters Back in the Bay? 294 Building a Healthy Ethic 296 Conclusion 299 Climate Change and the Bay’s Future 300 Climate Change Basics 303 The Bay’s Vulnerabilities 305 Wetlands as Buffers 309 Adaptation 311 Coda 314 Glossary 318 A 318 B 318 C 318 D 318 E 319 G 319 H 319 L 319 M 319 O 319 P 319 R 319 S 320 T 320 U 320 W 320 Historical Timeline 322 References 328 Learning More, Helping Out: A Few Places to Start 335 Art Credits 338 Index 340 A 340 B 340 C 341 D 342 E 342 F 342 G 343 H 343 I 343 J 343 K 343 L 343 M 344 N 344 O 344 P 345 Q 345 R 345 S 346 T 347 U 347 V 348 W 348 Y 348 Z 348 This complete primer on San Francisco Bay is a multifaceted exploration of an extraordinary, and remarkably resilient, body of water. Bustling with oil tankers, laced with pollutants, and crowded with forty-six cities, the bay is still home to healthy eelgrass beds, young Dungeness crabs and sharks, and millions of waterbirds. Written in an entertaining style for a wide audience, Natural History of San Francisco Bay delves into an array of topics including fish and wildlife, ocean and climate cycles, endangered and invasive species, and the path from industrialization to environmental restoration. More than sixty scientists, activists, and resource managers share their views and describe their work—tracing mercury through the aquatic ecosystem, finding ways to convert salt ponds back to tidal wetlands, anticipating the repercussions of climate change, and more. Fully illustrated and packed with stories, quotes, and facts, the guide also tells how San Francisco Bay sparked an environmental movement that now reaches across the country. Taking The Plunge -- Beneath The Surface : What Is An Estuary? -- Visible And Invisible Life : Fish, Birds, And Other Wildlife -- History Of Human Changes : 1800s-1960s -- The Environmental Backlash : 1960s-present -- Restoration Frontiers : The Watershed -- Restoration Frontiers : The Bay -- Climate Change And The Bay's Future. Ariel Rubissow Okamoto, Kathleen M. Wong. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 313-319) And Index. Bustling with oil tankers, laced with pollutants, and crowded with forty-six cities, the San Francisco Bay is home to healthy eelgrass beds, young Dungeness crabs and sharks, and millions of waterbirds. This title delves into an array of topics including fish and wildlife, ocean and climate cycles, and endangered and invasive species. This exploration into the San Francisco Bay covers an array of topics including fish and wildlife populations, ocean and climate cycles, endangered and invasive species, and the path from industrialization to environmental restoration