Biochemist and marine biologist Michael Konrad of South 40 Pier sends along the following natural history of one of our most important neighbors, eelgrass: Life began in the ocean. Then continents generated by tectonic plate movements gradually became hospitable to life, and some living organisms migrated onto this new dry...
Living on the water means having animal neighbors that land residents infrequently see. The terns, gulls, egrets, herons, pelicans, and cormorants are familiar to us all, and if you live near deeper water, you may see seals. Schools of small fish swim in both shallow and deep water around our...
Local media has been abuzz lately with stories from the Southern Marin waterfront. Galilee Harbor. The March 27 San Francisco Chronicle carried a front–page story about rising berth rents at Galilee Harbor. The article describes Galilee’s unique status this way: “It is the only wholly owned and operated live–aboard cooperative harbor...
The Richardson Bay Audubon Sanctuary has closed to all boat traffic—including paddle boards, kayaks, and canoes—until March 31. The annual closure protects tens of thousands of migratory ducks, geese, and shorebirds while they refuel for their journeys south. The closure is mandated by an ordinance of the Richardson’s Bay Regional...
For the past few days, the media have been running scary stories about an algae bloom which has caused a red tide offshore and in parts of San Francisco Bay. The red tide results from a higher-than-normal concentration of a microscopic algae (plantlike organism) known as Heterosigma akashiwo, which...
Diana Wolf moved to Gate 6 ½ in 1995. She and her husband Brent raised a son and daughter on the dock before moving to Novato several years ago. They kept the floating home, which they had built together, on the end of the dock as a rental property, until...
About 20 people attended the May 1 Bay cleanup sponsored by 13-year old Oscar Melet of Gate 6 ½. Oscar’s mom, Nikki, reported that the group retrieved a large tarpaulin, styrofoam, ChapStick, a pill bottle and more. “We noticed there was way less trash than last year,” she pointed out...
“After Decades Away, River Otters Make a Triumphant Return to the Bay Area” reported Bay Nature Magazine in 2016. Writer Kat McGown reported: “the fact that otters are back in the Bay Area of their own accord without any reintroduction program to help them looks like a reason to declare...
From October 1 of this year to March 31 of next year, approximately 900 acres of Richardson Bay waters will be closed to all boat traffic—including paddle boards, kayaks, and canoes. The annual closure creates a sanctuary for tens of thousands of migratory ducks, geese, and shorebirds while they refuel...
Ian Moody’s corporation, Aquamaison, is due to close at the end of this month. Ian ran his concrete barge-building company as a sole proprietor until he passed away in May from complications following a stroke. Ian’s widow Janeane is struggling to complete the few projects he left unfinished, but does...