Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Invasive species are simply the latest in a series of assaults on the bay's na-
tive flora and fauna. First there was the wave of mining debris, then the
rush of sewage and algae blooms, followed by the construction of all man-
ner of barriers and channels with hard edges, as well as the pressures of
heavy industry and urban development. Humanity even put a cherry on
top—plastic.
Estuarine species might have withstood one of these assaults, or a cou-
ple, or perhaps even a mild dose of everything. But scientists no longer
seem to feel sure about this causing that, or one thing leading to another.
With water being the great connector, synergistic effects on the last re-
maining species and habitats are inevitable.
“There's a bunch of stressors out there naturally, like climate, and a
bunch of stressors we've added, like toxins and invasive species and water
exports,” says EPA's fish czar Bruce Herbold. “If resilience has disappeared
WATER AND PARTNERSHIPS: THE GREAT CONNECTORS
A system as complex as the San Francisco estuary and delta cannot be man-
aged without strong science and an open mind. There came a point in the
bay's history when managers realized they needed not only local data gleaned
from fieldwork in the region's own ecosystem but also input from diverse inter-
ests to tackle conflicts between water supply and environmental health. As a
result, dozens of collaborative, multi-interest, or interagency initiatives emerged
in the 1980s and 1990s. One of the first times public and private interests—
from farmers to industrialists to environmentalists to water engineers—came to
the same negotiating table to hash out some solutions was in 1988. The
hundred-member group, gathered through the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's San Francisco Estuary Project, did not shrink from the wars over wet-
land fill, species extinction, and development in sensitive floodplains and
shorelines. The project was among the first to bring the term “estuary” into
wide local usage, to fill gaps in the scientific study of human impact on the es-
tuarine system, and to craft a comprehensive 145-action plan for the Sacra-
mento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay. This early collaborative
groundwork nurtured other constructive initiatives, as well as many on-the-
ground restoration projects. It also spawned a network of environmentalists,
anglers, politicians, ports, birdwatchers, industries, farmers, utilities, and regu-
lators with the best interests of the bay and delta at heart. In 2010, the project
was renamed the San Francisco Estuary Partnership to reflect its ongoing
commitment to the health of the estuary.
