California Grunion

Huntington Beach Wetlands Restoration

Long-term Monitoring is necessary to understand the status of valuable habitats such as eelgrass.  Knowledge on the health and extent of these habitats is integral to conservation efforts.  To establish a monitoring framework for southern California, NMFS has collaborated with various organizations to develop a regional eelgrass monitoring plan. 

Bolsa Chica Wetlands Maintenance Dredging Program

In order to maintain the restored wetlands at Bolsa Chica in Orange County, accumulated beach sand in the inlet of the Full Tidal Basin must periodically be removed and placed back onto the downcoast beach. >> read more

Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach Development

The Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach are combined to form one of the largest port facilities in the United States.  In 2007, the two ports handled more than 15 million containers of cargo with a value of over $300 billion. Given the increased demand for imported and exported products, continued development of the two ports is a necessity given the lack of a feasible less environmentally impacting alternative locations.         >> read more

Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project

NOAA NMFS Southwest Region Habitat Conservation Division (HCD) is currently providing leadership as the Chair of the Wetlands Manager’s Group for the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project (WRP).  The WRP is a broadly based partnership with 18 state and federal agencies working in concert with scientists, local governments, and environmental organizations, as well as business leaders and educators to increase the pace and effectiveness of wetlands recovery efforts in southern California.    >> read more

Coastal Power Plants and Desalination Facilities

Many of California’s coastal power plants withdraw large volumes of ocean water for cooling purposes during energy production.  However, this ocean water provides important habitat for plankton, fishes, and invertebrates.  The use of once-through cooling entrains and impinges billions of marine organisms that are part of a healthy ecosystem.  These impacts contribute to the degredation of estuarine and nearshore habitat and declining fisheries.  It is estimated that coastal power plants in southern California collectively impinge approximately 8 – 30% of the sport fishing catch.  HCD has and continues to collaborate with other state and federal agencies to urge power plant operators to utilize the best available technology to reduce this impact, and, if infeasible to do so, mitigate for the impacts incurred from their operation.  >> read more

Past Projects:

Bolsa Chica Wetland Restoration Project

Through the combined efforts of eight state and federal resources agencies, approximately 880 acres of the Bolsa Chica Lowlands in Orange Country were acquired in February 1997 from the Signal Bolsa Corporation.  Title to the property is now held by the California State Lands Commission.  Funding for the acquisition came principally from the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. >> read more

Batiquitos Lagoon Restoration Project

For information on the Batiquitos Lagoon Restoration Project, click here.  

Project Archives click here

01/24/12