We invite you to peruse past issues of our newsletter:
Discovery of a second form of shellfish poisoning: Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning ~ Article “Saving Our Beaches” discusses accelerated erosion in Moss Beach ~ Remembering Sasha Greenawalt ~ Youth Voices for a Brighter Future ~ Da Potato Sisters podcasts ~ A Geology Tour of Pillar Point ~ More Seal Cove History ~ Hope Suchsland Says Farewell to FFMR
FMR’s special carbon-sequestering seagrass meadows ~ Creature photos by Melody Ng Lee ~ HMB High FFMR scholarship recipients: Jasmine Tyler Standez, Brian Booher and Hannah De Leon~ Marsha Cohen, FFMR Volunteer Naturalist talks about the group’s inspiring and satisfying work leading tours of the tidepools.~ An “avid Between the Tides reader” updates the Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning article ~ FFMR President Ron Olson provides updates on: repairs needed after last year’s rains; FFMR Naturalists sharing information and experiences with Marin County’s Duxbury Reef volunteers; Angel Tinetti, a current student at HMB High School will be observing the FFMR Board Meetings.~ 4th of July parade photos ~ A California state budget award of $9.5 million for scientists to explore and document Intertidal Biodiversity ~ A short remembrance of Bob Breen 10 years after his death~ Report on our fundraising efforts through Coastside Gives.
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning in California ~ FMR Research Surveys report ~ Meet Alison Young, New FFMR Board Member ~ Also meet our 2023 FFMR Naturalists from our Volunteer Training Class ~ Can Octopuses see color? ~ Book Review: An Immense World by Ed Yong ~ A challenge: Tidepool Quiz.
San Mateo County Parks Interpretive Strategic Plan to address comprehensive public communication tools and strategies for Fitzgerald ~ Beautiful photo documentation of Fitzgerald by Brody Scotland ~ The millennia-long evolution of our Coastal Strawberries ~ About FMR’s Land Acknowledgment Statement ~ Damage to FMR from recent storms ~ The Story of the Gray Whale of Seal Cove ~ Plant/History Tours of FMR for Seniors ~ FMR joins Coastside Gives to facilitate donations.
Enjoy the journey of a HMB High student who was captivated by the Reserve at age 4 ~ Time to register for 2023 Volunteer Naturalist Training Class ~ Snapshot Cal Coast features many photos of the reserve ~ Meet the anemone that likes to play hide and seek ~ Addressing harmful tidepool practices ~ Celebrating 50 years of Training Volunteer Naturalists.
Checkout some stunning fogbow photos by Ranger Rob Cala ~ We bid farewell to our editors Jan Pelinka and Sasha Greenwald and welcome our new Editorial Board ~ Learn how Nature Journaling stimulates our curosity about nature ~ A barn owl is a new predator at the Reserve ~ 50 years of naturalist training began when FMR was being “loved to death” ~ 2022 Scholarship Recipients: Philip McVey, Eric Dubois and Armand Tomasella ~ Take a look at the amazing educational resources on our website ~ FMR’s Canary Island Palms and the European Sweet Chestnut Tree
A comprehensive look at Sea Anemones ~ Spotlight on new board member Miranda Holeton ~ A wild day on docents sixth research survey ~ Meet the new 2022 Volunteer Naturalists ~ Learn about the Chiguan, the First Steward of Fitzgerald Marine Reserve ~ Invitation to participate in Snapshot Cal Coast ~ Our latest Harbor Seals and pups count
Writing about Our Retreating Coastline involves the geology of the coast, marine terraces, winter high waves and king tides, erosion of the bluffs, the extensions of Pillar Point Harbor breakwater, collapse of the Mirada bridge, and much more. ~ We spotlight Ranger Darren Cummings this month. ~ Check out the update to the four Research Surveys of 2021 that are being conducted to gather date to define the typical ecosystem of the reserve. ~ And meet the Kelp Crab that loves to hide in the feather boa kelp at the reserve. Don’t try to grab one, it can pinch, dig the sharp ends of its legs into you, or jab you with its side spines!
A special dual offering for this month: Karen Kalumuck’s “Terrestrial Vegetation of Fitzgerald Marine Reserve” as a gourmet vegetarian feast and Tom Ciotti’s accompanying digestif: “Compendium of the Etymologies of the Common Names of the Terrestrial Vegetation.” ~ Ron Olson extoles tidepooling in the winter months ~ Julie Waters shares what to wear for tidepooling both for looks and safety ~ Meet Gemma Rice, volunteer naturalist ~ And a spectaclar photo spread of Robin Agarwal’s photos of Nudibranchs and their Eggs.
“Report from the Reef” presents our Third Research Survey of the intertidal ecosystem at FMR. ~ Congratulations to three HMB High students who received Friends of Fitzgerald Scholarships: Brianna Johnson, Gwinna Putz and Elijah Lurie. ~ FFMR Board President Ron Olson reports on the latest news and activities.~ We spotlight volunteer naturalist Kumi Ishida who began volunteering for FMR in 1988! ~ Discover the opportunist marauder bird in our midst: the Parasitic jaeger who feasts on shorebirds, songbirds, waterfowl and their eggs and much more. ~ A true seal expert, Kris Liang, shares her encyclopedic knowledge of these Pinnepeds from their importance to Native Americans through their life cycle, predators, prey and information on our local harbor seals. ~ King Tides are coming to the coast in November and December, check our tide tables. ~ And lastly, it’s time to register to become an FFMR volunteer naturalist. Classes start in January so sign up now!
Linda Ciotti and a host of volunteers welcomed the public back to the reserve on May 3, 2021. ~ Check out the reserve’s revamped website with terrific videos by FMR’s Ranger/Videographer Rob Cala! ~ Robin Agarwal presents a photographic essay of a summer spent spotting an amazing variety of whales, dolphins and albatroses from shore and on whale-watching and birding tours ~ Volunteer naturalist Karen Kalumuck takes you on a tour of the vegetation at the reserve; she has identified over 100 species so far (who knew!) ~ We spotlight volunteer naturalist Scott Snow who is thrilled to be back on the reefs and ~ Mark Hubbell introduces Pacifica’s new sea star tracking group: Rockaway Ocean Conservation Stewards. He says, “We all enjoyed a sense of accomplishment in creating an historical record for posterity of our beloved shoreline.”
In this issue ~Discover Fitzgerald’s ONLY coral—the Orange cup coral. ~Photographer Scott Snow suggests you Tidepool everywhere you go—you’ll be amazed what you’ll find. ~Magnificent Ocean Matriarchs: Due to reduced salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest, killer whale pods have been foraging down in our waters. We learn it’s the long-lived grannies of the pods who continue to hunt, portect and pass on killer whale culture, societal mores and skills. ~The closure of the reserve due to Covid-19 provided an unprecedented opportunity to establish a picture of the intertidal ecosystem at FMR after it has had a break from human activity. The Friends of Fitzgerald pursued and received a Scientific Research Permit to pursue this goal. ~Meet volunteer naturalist Graham Brew who enjoys revealing sea life on the reef to keen visitors. For the last several years he has also volunteered on the sea star counts.
In this issue of Between the Tides: Now that a virus has captured our attention, what better time for an article about Marine Viruses—possibly older than life on earth and more numerous than all the stars in the sky! We spotlight FMR Naturalist Paul Gater; three Half Moon Bay High School student scholarship recipients—Audrey Booher, Julia Race and Roman Rodriguez; the Beach Watch program which studies and protects the shoreline of the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and the northern portion of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary; and we explore the thriving plant life of FMR, under the shade of the cypress trees. Lastly is a review of the book Abalone, The Remarkable History and Uncertain Future of California’s Iconic Shellfish, by Ann Vileisis.
In this issue of Between the Tides: COVID-19 impact: The closing of the Reserve eventually required FFMR volunteers to monitor the reserve, especially to protect the moms and 72 new pups. ~And, although the class field trips had to be curtailed, we did graduate a class of 13 new naturalists. ~We spotlight FFMR naturalist Marian Miller who is missing leading excited children on tours. ~Two creatures are featured this issue: The amazing coordinated fish capture strategy of Humpback Whales is explained with excellent photos; and The Infamous Gull article highlights a detailed identification chart of 9 types of gull, and relates several intriguing tales of these ubiquitous, often pesky, birds. ~The San Mateo County Parks Foundation believes in the Healing Power of Naturefor children. The concept of nature-deficit disorder in children was presented in 2005 by Richard Louv’s book “Last Child in the Woods.” The county parks nature programs provide transportation to bring children to the vast amounts nature we have here but which they may never have had the opportunity to experience.
In this issue of Between the Tides: Two mysteries appear in this issue. ~For our lead story, FFMR President Tom Ciotti spent months searching for clues to Seal Cove’s true history, from the day of the Chiguan natives, to the legacy of the Smith family and to the more recent Westinghouse plans to subdivide the land of what is now Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. ~Then Robin Agarwal researches why the Salt-and-Pepper Nudibranch lives at Fitzgerald Reserve but not at close-by Pillar Point. ~Next Janet Pelinka explores the world of encrusting marine animals—those that spend their adult lives attached to a hard surface or over seaweed. ~The recent sea star count was slightly lower than usual but on a positive note, there were no signs of Sea Star Wasting Disease and all the stars looked plump and healthy.
In this issue of Between the Tides: ~We celebrate 10 years of Nudibranch Counts and learn much more about them from a real pro, Terry Goslliner of the California Academy of Sciences. ~FFMR Naturalists share ideas for leading the “best” tours ever on the bluffs and by the sea. ~An encouraging yet cautionary article on the state of Gray Whales and their adaptation to change. ~The amazing Sooty Shearwaters who come to our coast in the tens of thousands on a round trip journey of over 39,000 miles. A strange aside that they may be the inspiration for Hitchcock’s “Birds.” ~A review of another successful 2019 FFMR Junior Naturalist Camp.
In this issue of Between the Tides: ~We invite you to learn about: an infrequent visitor, a gorgeous nudibranch named Babakina festiva; the big-eared Dusky-footed Woodrat, aka Packrat; and an unwelcome resident, the tick. ~Find out how the sea stars are recovering from Sea Star Wasting Disease ~Explore 90 million years of geologic history ~Meet this year’s high school scholarship recipients ~Learn how studying owl limpets at Fitzgerald are an indicator of the health of an ecosystem and the importance of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). ~Also: exquisite nudibranch photos and fun photos of Fitz “creatures” in this year’s 4th of July parade.
In this issue ~ FFMR Celebrates “Fifty Years of Stewardship” of our precious marine reserve. Our March event presented three aspects of our history: geologic, natural and human and excerpts from the newly created comprehensive signage are chock full of information. ~May celebrated Fitzgerald’s Partners in Stewardship including California Academy of Sciences, California Whale Rescue, POST, San Mateo County Parks Foundation, Shark Stewards, and The Marine Mammal Center among others. ~Many photos also spotlight the event’s Illustrious Speakers, Honorees and Intrepid Rangers! ~Next, in spite of days of rain, a new group of volunteers underwent fun but rigorous training to earn their green jackets and become FFMR Volunteer Naturalists. ~April’s Seal Count came to 186: total adults and immatures and 11 pups.
In this issue of Between the Tides: It’s our 50th Anniversary! Check out the special events coming up during the year. ~We visit a 1969 nascent reserve in a 1994 25th anniversary article by the reserve’s first supervising naturalist, Bob Breen, ~We discover that there may be a “Fitzgerald’s Curse,” ~Learn about the leviathan Sperm Whale ~Get to know volunteer Elaine Reade and professor/biologist Mary Wicksten, ~And examine the cascading effects of a warming ocean affecting kelp, purple sea urchins, sea stars and red abalone.~We also bring back from long-ago the Gee Whiz Tidepool Quiz—test your marine knowledge.
In this issue of Between the Tides: We celebrate our Volunteer Naturalists in this issue; from Turkish Towels to Feather Boas, we learn about the many kinds of algae at the reserve; in a review of Spying on Whales we learn that the hippopotamus is the closest living relative of whales; enjoy sharing what we learned in our “Workshop for the Birds!”; read about the status and implications of “Offshore Drilling on California’s Coast”; and digest some interesting new information on “Cows, Methane and Algae!”
In this issue of Between the Tides: Our September issue, the S month, includes Scholarships, Surveys, Starfish, Summer Camp, Sanctuary Day, Seymour Marine Discovery Center visit, Snails, Sign-up for Naturalist Training and last but not least, Spectacular photos by Ranger Rob Cala.
In this issue of Between the Tides: Check out photos of our 16 newly graduated volunteer naturalists who will be out on the reefs soon; meet long-time volunteer naturalist Dave Hankin; and get info on water monitoring at San Vicent Creek Watershed. Creatures this month include Barnacles (you might be surprised); a review of a marvelous book on Squid; and this year’s harbor seal and pup count.
In this issue of Between the Tides: “Heading North” describes the Hopkins Rose nudibranch, Pink volcano barnacle and Sunburst anemone as examples of animal species which were historically found in more southern and warmer waters, but have now moved into to our area. Learn about our “west of the Rockies” Monarch Butterflies, their migration patterns and when best to catch sight of them. This issue’s Creature Feature is Limpets—marine mollusks—some of which have surprising behaviors like bringing the end of a shell down on the foot of a predator such as a sea star. The reviewer of the book “Sex in the Sea” says that it “interprets an amazing and not entirely understood area of marine science in a manner that is entertaining and comprehensible to a broad audience of readers.”
In this issue of Between the Tides: Creature features this issue are plankton and the ancient chitons. Read about what countries around the world are doing to meet the challenge of rising seas; get out to see the upcoming King (very high) Tides; learn about the 1896 shipwreck on Frenchmans Reef in the reserve; and check out some terrific photos of birds in the reserve.
In this issue of Between the Tides: Imagine having receptors for sixteen types of colors, able to see a spectrum far beyond the capacity of the human brain (we have receptors for only three!). In “Colors We Cannot See,” the college-bound author leads with this ability of the amazing (and ferocious) Mantis Shrimp. Read about this year’s summer camp, our first STEM-focused Junior Naturalist Camp, thoroughly enjoyed by 31 campers who got the opportunity to build their own Foldscopes, made primarily from paper but able to magnify 140x! Rounding out the issue is a Volunteer Spotlight on Docent Jeanette Hyer, an Animal ID quiz, and a Creature Feature on Anemones at the reserve with terrific colorful photos.
In this issue of Between the Tides: Opening this issue, our estimable Ranger Rob Cala showcases the upgraded Visitor Center with an interactive computer, “Sprout,” and monitors showcasing marine life in technicolor (both inshore reef and offshore ROV footage). Other stories present the crabs of the reserve including the camouflaged decorator crab; the adventures of this year’s naturalist training class; and Kris Liang’s internship on the Farallon islands to study the elephant seals. She also enjoyed counting crickets hanging on the wall of caves at night and visited a neighboring island via zip line with a frightening scale of a granite rock face.
In this issue of Between the Tides: Interviews with last year's Bob Breen scholarship award recipients; a year-end review by Friends of Fitzgerald Marine Reserve Board President Kathleen Hayes; and a fascinating article by Karen Kalumuck on how local marine life such as sea urchins and colonial tunicates are used in medical research. The cover article tells the story of Morris, a Northern Gannett who has been a unique visitor to the West Coast since 2012. Morris, who is frequently spotted at Pillar Point, is a long way from Northern Gannett's usual home on the East Coast.
In this issue of Between the Tides: reports on the Friends of Fitzgerald Marine Reserve's successful second-place finish in Half Moon Bay's Fourth of July parade. The issue also features an article on jellyfish, a review of Sy Montgomery's wonderful book, "The Soul of an Octopus", and a profile of biologist Dr. Karen Kalamuck, who recently became a volunteer naturalist at the Reserve.