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From Baykeeper's Column in Bay Crossings Magazine

Baykeeper publishes a column in Bay Crossings, a monthly newspaper featuring articles of interest on San Francisco Bay cultural, environmental and maritime issues.
Baykeeper Boat Patrols Spur Pollution Cleanup
(May 2013)

As we patrolled the southern San Francisco shoreline in the Baykeeper boat, we glided toward a huge facility where paint was being sandblasted off a massive ship towering above us. Paint chips blew onto our deck. Looking down, we saw a swirling film of pinkish-gray dust floating on the Bay’s surface.

Geoff Potter, our volunteer skipper that day, maneuvered closer. We rocked slightly on low waves. Baykeeper staff scientist Ian Wren hung over the boat’s side as he reached down and scooped up samples of the polluted water for analysis at a lab.
Opposing the Proposed Waterfront Basketball Arena
(April 2013)

A 13-story basketball stadium on the San Francisco waterfront is not just a bad idea—it would be an illegal grab of property held in trust for you.

That’s one of many reasons to oppose the Golden State Warriors’ proposal to build an 18,000-seat arena on Pier 30/32, on San Francisco Bay’s shoreline, just south of the Bay Bridge. The behemoth arena would block precious open-water views that connect us all to San Francisco Bay.
Tanker Hits Bridge: A Wake-Up Call for Lovers of the Bay
(March 2013)

When an oil tanker hit one of the Bay Bridge towers on a foggy morning in early January, it was a wake-up call for everyone who cares about San Francisco Bay. The collision between the tanker, the Overseas Reymar, and the bridge could have led to a real disaster.
King Tides at Morning—Bay Area, Take Warning
(February 2013)

Some of the highest tides of the year take place February 7-9, giving the Bay Area a preview of what’s coming as global climate change raises sea levels.

These exceptionally high tides are called king tides. They occur every year when the gravitational pulls of the sun and moon reinforce one another. While not caused by climate change, king tides allow us to visualize now how more frequent flooding caused by rising sea levels will impact San Francisco Bay’s shore and shoreline communities.
Braving Stormy Weather to Find the Bay’s Industrial Polluters
(January 2013)

For most people, a rainy forecast means carrying an umbrella. But Baykeeper is San Francisco Bay’s pollution watchdog, and for us, rain is a call to action. This year, Baykeeper staff members and our new team of volunteer pollution investigators are braving winter storms to find the Bay’s industrial polluters.
The San Francisco Bay Rainy-Season Pollution Protection Quiz
(December 2012)

The rainy season brings a surge of pollution to San Francisco Bay. Test your knowledge about how you can help protect the Bay from one serious wintertime pollution problem—sewage spills.

1. Sewage is more likely to get spilled into San Francisco Bay during:
A. The holidays
B. Windy weather
C. Low tides

2. Washing which of the following down the drain can cause pollution in the Bay?
A. Soapy water
B. Fruit juice that’s gone bad
C. Fats, oil, grease, and oily food scraps
Cosco Busan Oil Spill Five Years Later: Could It Happen Again?
(November 2012)

Five years ago, on the morning of November 7, the 900-foot container ship Cosco Busan left Oakland in heavy fog with low visibility. It side-swiped a Bay Bridge tower, ripping open two fuel tanks and pouring more than 53,000 gallons of heavy bunker fuel into San Francisco Bay.
Home and Garden Projects that Protect San Francisco Bay
(October 2012)

Every drop of rain in the Bay Area eventually flows to San Francisco Bay. Throughout history, that hasn’t been a problem. Most rain soaked into the ground and made its way gradually into creeks that emptied into the Bay.

But with so many roads, driveways, sidewalks and roofs in our urban area, rain rushes across hard surfaces, picking up trash, oil, pesticides and other pollutants. In most Bay Area communities, the contaminated rainwater zooms down a storm drain into a concrete culvert that dumps it—unfiltered and untreated—into creeks or the Bay itself.
Oddball Creatures of San Francisco Bay
(September 2012)

One fish has lights on its stomach and wakes up houseboaters. Another gets a crab to give it dinner and a worm to build its house. They’re among the more than 35 species of native fish that depend on San Francisco Bay.

During early summer, the sleep of Sausalito houseboaters can be disturbed by the rumbling midnight mating hums of the plainfin midshipman (Porichthys notatus). Also called a toadfish, it has two types of male competing for one type of female.
America’s Cup Legacy: The Greening of the Port of San Francisco
(August 2012)

The America’s Cup races give us thrilling views of the world’s fastest sailboats—and a great opportunity to put into practice our commitment to a healthy, thriving San Francisco Bay. One legacy of the America’s Cup will be less polluted storm water in the Bay. As San Francisco piers are retrofitted to accommodate visitors and racing teams, new pollution controls are being added.