Historic new report maps California's coastal successes and failures

Roughly 75% of California’s sandy beaches will disappear by 2100, as warming oceans and rising sea levels threaten the state, according to a new report by a state council tasked with helping to protect coastal ecosystems.

The report by the Ocean Protection Council is believed to be the first report to fully analyze the state’s entire 1,100 miles of coastline and ocean, mapping the many threats under climate change, as well as progress in addressing those issues.

“It’s the first science-based comprehensive assessment of California’s ocean and coastal health in California’s history,” said Staci Lewis, senior bio-diversity manager of the California Ocean Protection Council.

The report drew input from 120 scientists who analyzed 14 key indicators — including wildlife and habitats, human impacts such as commercial fishing and environmental stressors, which included ocean acidification and sea level rise.

Among the findings: 75% of the state’s bull kelp died following a marine heat wave in 2014, compounded by a die-off in sea stars which allowed their prey, purple sea urchins, to further wipe out kelp beds. The report said recent surveys showed the kelp beginning to recover, with the state spending $11 million on kelp research and restoration.

The study found most marine mammal populations remained healthy, but gray whale populations shrunk by 40% in recent years, likely due to environmental changes. The state is touting its work trying to develop whale-safe fishing gear to further protect them, as well as incorporating more tools that make it easier to recognize harmful algal blooms.

“It’s mobilizing people and coming up with community-based solutions,” Lewis said.

California’s waters face twin environmental devils of increasingly warming oceans and ocean acidification due to changing climate and increased pollution. Lewis said the oceans are warming at a rate of two degrees per century, along with recent instances of warming patches of water wreaking havoc such as the phenomenon in 2013 scientists dubbed the “warm blob.”

That same warming of ocean waters is also blamed for a disease outbreak that wiped out sea stars and damaged intertidal habitats all along the coast, including Half Moon Bay. In response, the state said it has built one of the world’s most comprehensive tidepool monitoring programs to keep tabs.

California’s aims of fortifying the state for future environmental change got a significant boost last year when voters passed the California Climate Bond, setting aside $10 billion in funds to address climate change-related work. Some of that money will go toward studies on restoring kelp and helping communities impacted by sea level rise.

“We’re still making those investments because the people of California really value a healthy coast and really see the need to invest in climate protection and sea level rise flood protection,” said Joshua Quigley, senior policy manager with environmental steward Save the Bay.

The report said most of California’s beaches have been shrinking due to strong winter storms in the last few years. One dire prediction said the state could lose 75% of its sandy beaches by 2100 without intervention. In response, the state said it’s addressing the sources of the sand that feeds them. There is hope that recent removal of dams on the Klamath River could restore the natural flow of sand and sediment to the coast.

The state hopes the removal of those dams will also benefit king salmon populations which have dwindled so far in recent years due to drought that it’s led to the complete closure of the commercial salmon season the past three years.

“The way that we are helping to recover those species are through things like the Klamath Dam removal,” Lewis said. “To allow the natural migration of salmon to places where they can spawn and repopulate.”

The report comes as the state experiences record heat with predictions that another round of warming ocean waters could again impact California’s already fragile ecology. Lewis said the coastal economy brings in $44 billion a year — creating a sense of urgency for a financial resource on top of an environmental one.

“The work we’re doing provides clean beaches, clean water, and allowing people to enjoy nature and benefit from nature,” Lewis said.