Sealife Conservation has been studying and educating the public about ocean plastics for nearly five years. We have learned a tremendous amount about how plastics impact our oceans, and just as importantly, the sources of the plastics. During that time we have worked with a number of city and state agencies to develop better practices to help prevent plastics from entering our oceans. Our work with the city of Monterey, in particular, has been very rewarding. This past February Monterey passed a ban on polystyrene (Styrofoam) takeout containers within the city limits.
A year ago, while speaking with one of our passengers, I realized that Sealife Conservation could broaden its goal and extend the reach of its message by supporting cities to pass bans on polystyrene and on plastic bags. Sealife Conservation’s particular strengths are educating the public and studying plastic types and concentrations. These strengths are best put to use by partnering with non-profits and city agencies interested in adopting bans. This past spring we met a perfect partner to help us reach this goal – the Sea Studios Foundation.
Sea Studios has been producing films about the environment for National Geographic, PBS, and for private distribution for years. Recently, they have sought to highlight their work in communities and leverage their work to help create change, just as Sealife Conservation has. We started working with Sea Studios this past summer, hosting participants from two very successful events they produced, the Think Beyond Plastic Film Festival and the Plastic Pollution Coalition Summit. With two successes under our belt, it was time to step up our collective game!
This November the Derek M. Baylis will be traveling to eight cities in Southern California to support the mutual goal of Sealife Conservation and Sea Studios Foundation. The goal is the banning of polystyrene takeout containers and single use grocery bags. Our program starts on November 4th in Morro Bay and concludes at the end of November in San Diego. Getting the individuals who make the laws and the non-profits that will rally support for the bans is a dream that will soon be realized. Sea Studios will be hosting screenings of their films, Plastic Plague and Bag the Bag, as well as providing DVDs to those interested in supporting our education efforts at the screenings. The DVDs will contain the films, a sample polystyrene ordinance, a list of cities and counties that have adopted the ban, a copy of state ordinance AB1358, and a list of local vendors who will provide alternative bio-compostable products to cities and businesses. This DVD is an amazing tool that allows a city to essentially copy and paste a legally defensible ban. It will also contain resources that will answer all the questions one may have about taking such action. Sealife’s role will be to provide the venue, via the Derek M. Baylis, for an educational opportunity to those interested in pursuing this cause.
Please follow us via our blog as we travel down the coast! If you reside in Morro Bay, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey, Long Beach, San Pedro, Newport Beach, or San Diego, please join us aboard and help support our ocean and your local city!
Link to: http://www.thinkbeyondplastics.org/

Contributed by Dave Robinson

Someone once asked, “Have you ever been at sea in a dense fog, when it seemed as if a tangible white darkness shut you in and the great ship, tense and anxious, groped her way toward shore with plummet and sounding-line, and you waiting with a pounding heart for something to happen”? In the late evening hours of September 27 and 28, the Derek M Baylis headed out of the Santa Cruz harbor in the thick fog toward San Francisco, after 5 efficacious months with the Monterey Bay Aquarium educating passengers about marine conservation. A small crew of 6 was onboard for the task of motoring the boat through the dark, mysterious waters of the Pacific into the San Francisco Bay, where the DMB will be utilized as a research vessel to place satellite tags on the captivating creatures we all know as the Great White Sharks. Stanford scientists have used the DMB for several years now to study Great Whites off the Farallon Islands…a wicked environment 25 miles off the coast of SF where these fascinating creatures migrate every fall. The delivery North had to take place in the middle of the night because, as Captain Dave Robinson quipped, “The weather Gods are conspiring against us”.
We planned to leave around 11pm. This was my first offshore delivery, so I felt an immense amount of excitement coupled with a bit of fear given the fact that fog blanketed the coast that evening. It’s common to have trepidation before and during one’s first night jaunt. If you don’t feel a little anxiety, you’re not taking it seriously enough. Without that leviathan overhead light (the sun), you have to rely on a whole different set of skills and senses to guide you. At night, depth perception and the ability to judge distances are greatly altered. Any concern I had was alleviated almost immediately during the safety talk pre-trip given by our highly skilled Captains. Captain Dave, Captain Mark, and Captain Martijn all have a wealth of experience at sea, and after sailing with them all this summer I knew I was in the best possible hands. These Captains insisted upon using harnesses on the deck (if one needed to venture past the helms), and they designated a watch for each of us on both the radar (your eyes-on-the-water when you can no longer see) and the helm with time to rest in between. No “Potato Navigation” takes place with these pros (Potato Navigation states that ‘When traveling in the fog, send someone forward with a bucket of potatoes every so often and have the person heave one forward as hard as possible in the direction of travel…if you hear a splash then proceed. If not-TACK’). Actually, I seriously doubt anybody uses that form of piloting on any vessel though the concept struck me as humorous.
We left harbor at the scheduled time and proceeded to enter the foggy depths of the Pacific. The Captains definitely knew that being prepared in advance for the onset of thick, ghostly fog can make your experience in near-zero visibility much less intimidating. The wind was nearly non-existant that night, and nobody could see much of anything beyond her bow. With no horizon to focus on and absolutely no point of reference in the shadowy sea, it’s quite easy to become extremely disoriented. On the other hand, once you adjust, there truly is a certain exhiliration in successfully navigating through the murky and chilling clutches of the fog. In a journey such as this, ethereal moments await you…standing alone at the helm you may begin to notice the phosphorescent waters breaking against the bow, the bioluminescent plankton illuminating the blackness in the wake of her trail, and a strange yet beautiful sense of peace that profoundly connects you to the bounty of the ocean.

After my watch at the helm, I headed into the cabin for some shut-eye (though I wasn’t entirely sure I would be able to snooze in a 65 foot vessel plowing through the open ocean). As it turns out, slumber was definitely not a problem…it was actually quite relaxing, borderline hypnotic, to lay there listening to the water crashing against the bow. Captain Mark woke me up (not gently, I might add) around dawn and all of my grogginess disappeared once I ventured outside. We had cleared the fog and the Golden Gate Bridge was in sight, along with a few gargantuan container ships that Captain Dave was eyeing cautiously. The looming bridge ahead looked blood-red in the early morning light, though I understand the color is ‘officially’ an orange vermillion called International Orange which was selected because it blends well with the natural surroundings and enhances the bridge’s visibility in the fog. After cruising under the Golden Gate and all of its fruit-colored glory, we passed the creepy island of Alcatraz and heckled each other as to who should get tossed off the boat into permanent exile in the prison’s dungeon. No takers for blatantly obvious reasons.

We docked around 7:30 and had an incredible breakfast ashore up the street from the Hyde Street Pier. The stories were flying around the table and everyone’s punchy, half asleep repartee was priceless. What an incredible trip! The DMB will be sailing down to southern California in November to educate people in 8 different cities about the importance of ocean conservation and ongoing marine debris research. Stay tuned for details on the epic adventure down south! As for this particular evening excursion, I am reminded of a quote by E. E. Cummings; “for whatever we lose (like a you or a me), it’s always ourselves we find at sea.”

Contributed by Shawna Peak

A warm and sunny Mother’s Day weekend marked the beginning of the 2009 summer Sailing Adventures Program with the Monterey Bay Aquarium. On one of the cruises, passengers were treated to the appearance of three Black-footed Albatrosses gently gliding over Monterey Bay. These birds nest mainly on the Hawaiian Islands, but migrate great distances and can be seen off the Pacific Coast. Many other birds were sighted, including Western Grebes, Brandt’s and Pelagic Cormorants, Pigeon Guillemots, with their striking red legs and feet, Pacific Loons, Brown Pelicans, and the ever present Western Gulls!

Pigeon Guillemot

We all enjoyed the playful antics of the few California Sea Lions remaining in Monterey during the spring and early summer. Monterey Bay hosts only male sea lions in our cold waters as the vast majority of males have headed south to the Channel Islands and beyond to mate. We were thrilled to observe two mother sea otters with their pups. The pups appeared dry and comfortable lying on mom’s tummy! Passengers (and crew!) were amazed by the sight of a brand new baby harbor seal staring up at us on the starboard side of the Baylis. This is birthing time for the harbor seals.
The next weekend was unseasonably warm for Monterey. In our Kelp Pull, we found a wealth of critters – lots of kelp colored isopods, some skeleton shrimp, ribbons of melibe eggs, and bryozoans attached to the kelp blades. Our Plankton Tow was rich with plankton! We identified copepods, beautiful diatoms, dinoflagellates, and larvaceans. We were able to take a closer look at these incredible animals under the video microscope and talk about the many reasons that plankton are important to all of us, as they are members of the “bottom of the food web”. Pretty interesting!

The Benthic Sampler, which the passengers helped bring on the boat, held multiple, colorful, and truly beautiful bat stars. On a couple of the trips, we enjoyed viewing the Sunflower Sea Star, pycnopodia. The Pycnopodia utilizes over fifteen thousand tube feet to move and capture prey. Their prey is swallowed whole and digested internally!

Pycnopodia

Sailing the boat is one of the best parts of the program. The Baylis, all 65 feet of her, is an amazingly easy boat to operate and our passengers help hoist the sail and drive the boat. This is one of the smoothest boat rides one could imagine. If you are a sailor, or just a novice, you will have the chance to experience operating this magnificent and beautiful boat through the waters of Monterey Bay!
The most important lesson we learned from our time out on the Baylis is that we all can do something positive to help those living in the oceans. A major part of how we can help is by each of us doing our part in making sure that our oceans are free from contaminants. As part of our mission for the conservation of the oceans, marine debris collection/categorization and recording has been paramount. We collect and categorize all marine debris that we and our passengers see on our cruises, thus enabling us to create a “map” of where marine debris occurs. This research guides us in addressing the next necessary steps in protecting our oceans. It’s pretty cool to go out on the ocean and find critters and then be able to realize how we can help them – and all of us! It’s EASY and it’s FUN!! Come and join us!

Contributed by Mary Barrett

Marin headland, the site of our prime debris study this spring

Wednesday, April 29, 2009 – Tom Wylie gave a dockside send-off to an enthusiastic group of fifteen aboard the Baylis for the trip south from Alameda to Santa Cruz. There were a number of captains, mates and skippers, some family and friends, along with the Executive Director of Farallon Islands Marine Sanctuary Association. We departed at 9:30AM with westerly winds from 5-15 knots, sunny skies, and the temperature in the 60’s. Harbor porpoises showed us the way west. The course was easily plotted using the mapping software donated by Jeppesen Marine and we were able to check the readings along the way. San Francisco seemed to rise from the ocean and the skyline was awesome. Once we passed under the Golden Gate Bridge, we raised the main and the mizzen and headed south. With the 15 knot northwesterly winds pushing behind us, the Baylis gracefully cut through the calm seas. The coastal hills were still green from the earlier rains and contrasted nicely with the blue skies and the ocean. By late afternoon the winds had come up a bit and the skipper, with cheering and coaxing from those onboard, was able to get the Baylis up to 17 knots. There was plenty of time for animated discussions about marine debris research, the North Pacific Gyre, Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s), fishing, sailing trips, global warming and a host of other topics. As we approached Santa Cruz Harbor, we were treated to a view of the spinnakers from the sailboats in the Wednesday races heading our way. Also heading north, on both our port and starboard sides, were spouting California gray whales. It was the perfect end to a perfect day! We arrived at the dock at 7:30PM.
Now the boat rests for a week, eager to begin sailing out of Monterey with the Monterey Bay Aquarium on May 9th. For information on sailing times or booking contact reservations at (866) 963–9645 or visit the webpage at: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/efc/efc_programs/adventures_sailing.asp

Contributed by Mary Barrett

Kadee Barrett explaining the program

The Derek M. Baylis, along with her ocean conservation program, were featured at the Strictly Sail Pacific & Power Boat Expo held April 15-19, 2009, at Jack London Square, in Oakland, CA. With clear marine blue skies, temperatures in the 90’s, and abundant sunshine, the Derek M. Baylis was the venue for over 2,236 guests interested in learning more about the numerous research, recreational, and educational programs held onboard each year. Guests engaged in conversations with WylieCat designer, Tom Wylie, friends of SeaLife Conservation, Save Our Shores (SOS), West Marine, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
For five days a continuous parade of folks, young and old, ventured aboard this purpose built “working boat” eager to learn more about how the Baylis goes about carrying out the mission of SeaLife Conservation: “To inspire conservation of the oceans through research and education.” While some visitors were able to talk about the design and purpose of this eco-friendly vessel with Mr. Wylie, others stopped by to thank him for building a boat for them. People learned about SeaLife Conservation’s innovative marine debris research program which collects, categorizes, and plots the location of marine debris picked up by the crew on the Baylis in San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay. Save Our Shores (SOS) offered their DockWalker Kits to boaters. Kits contain an oil absorbent pad and informational material in a reusable “clean and green” bag. The pad enables boaters to safely dispose of used oil, which would otherwise end up in the marine environment. West Marine, along with SeaLife Conservation Inc. and SOS, displayed current green boating information. Guests learned about the Baylis’ summer adventures in conjunction with the Monterey Bay Aquarium. From May through September, guests can join the Baylis crew and Aquarium Naturalists on Science Under Sail excursions. Three hour cruises are offered at 10AM and 2PM and invite the public to participate in hands-on experiments to learn firsthand about the marine inhabitants and how each of us can be better stewards of our oceans. Sea Studios provided some of their innovative videos addressing threats to the oceans and how we can be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. The boat show was quite successful as thousands became more informed about the educational and research components of SeaLife Conservation.

Submitted by Mary Barrett

After years of efforts to encourage the City of Monterey to take a more proactive role in reducing their marine debris load the city council adopted a orinance to ban polystyrene take out containers within city limits on February 3rd. Sealife Conservation has been conferring with the city of Monterey since the fall of 2005 in an effort to persuade them to become more pro-active in their waste management by highlighting the findings from our marine debris studies on Monterey Bay. The February 3rd city council adoption seemed a watershed moment in our efforts to work towards affecting public policy, but by no means is the culmination of our efforts. Seaside, Sand City, and Marina have yet to adopt a similar ordinance. Though the impacts of these communities on the Monterey Bay marine debris issue is not as significant because they do not have significant popoulations on the waterfront as does Monterey, their role in helping us complete the protection of the perimeter of our bay is critical. The psychological implications of such efforts are equal if not greater than the immediate impact of such ordinances. The proposal of such bans bring the sustainability of commercial pursuits into the limelight, even if polystyrene impacts constitute a very small percentage of the total waste load of the community. It forces city leaders to debate relative values of commercial profitability against the value of their environment.