Natural History of San Francisco Bay

This complete primer on San Francisco Bay is a multifaceted exploration of an extraordinary, and remarkably resilient, body of water. Bustling with oil tankers, laced with pollutants, and crowded with forty-six cities, the bay is still home to healthy eelgrass beds, young Dungeness crabs and sharks, and millions of waterbirds. Written in an entertaining style for a wide audience, Natural History of San Francisco Bay delves into an array of topics including fish and wildlife, ocean and climate cycles, endangered and invasive species, and the path from industrialization to environmental restoration. More than sixty scientists, activists, and resource managers share their views and describe their work—tracing mercury through the aquatic ecosystem, finding ways to convert salt ponds back to tidal wetlands, anticipating the repercussions of climate change, and more. Fully illustrated and packed with stories, quotes, and facts, the guide also tells how San Francisco Bay sparked an environmental movement that now reaches across the country.

Ariel Rubissow Okamoto is the author of books and articles about San Francisco Bay, California water history, and national parks. Her articles have appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Bay Nature, and other publications.
Kathleen M. Wong is the science writer for the UC Natural Reserve System. Her articles have appeared in Bay Nature, California Wild, and Nature, and elsewhere.

Prologue
Acknowledgments

Taking the Plunge
An Ever-Changing Environment
Saving the Bay
Inside and Out

Beneath the Surface: What Is an Estuary?
Geography and Geology
Fresh and Salt Mix
Rivers
Creeks and Drainages
Bays within the Bay
Tides, Offshore Currents, and Upwelling
Water Layers and Flows
Wind, Waves, and Erosion
Sediment
Weather and Ocean Cycles
Climate over Millennia
Conclusion

Visible and Invisible Life: Fish, Birds, and Other
Wildlife
Living Conditions
Plants
Bottom-dwellers
Fish
Mammals
Birds
Conclusion

History of Human Changes: 1800s–1960s
Earliest Inhabitants
Explorers, Missionaries, and Hunters
The Allure of Gold
Fighting Floods
Reclaiming Swamps
Farms and Towns Expand
Fishing for a Living
Culturing Oysters
Fish and Wildlife Protection
Industrialized Fishing
Bay and Riverfront Enterprise
Transportation Facilities
Controlling Water Supply and Floods
Growing through War
Conclusion

The Environmental Backlash: 1960s–Present
Stopping Fill
Clean Water
Preventing Spills and Runoff
Emerging Contaminants
Curing the Throwaway Habit
Last of the Fishing
Maintaining Ports and Shipping
A Place for Wetlands and Wildlife
Warring over Water
Caring for Urban Creeks
Preventing Invasions
A Few Bad Actors
Synergistic Problems
Conclusion

Restoration Frontiers: The Watershed
Historical Milestones
Key Ingredients: A Riparian Recipe
The Big River Projects
The Delta and Shallows
Water Rights for the Ecosystem
Production or Conservation Hatcheries?
Reviving Bay Creeks
Bringing Back the Steelhead
Conserving and Recycling Water
Conclusion

Restoration Frontiers: The Bay
Historical Milestones
Key Ingredients: A Wetland Recipe
The Marin Shore
North Bay Hayfields
South Bay Salt Ponds Reborn
Weeding by Satellite
Underwater Restoration
Central Bay Eelgrass Beds
Oysters Back in the Bay?
Building a Healthy Ethic
Conclusion

Climate Change and the Bay’s Future
Climate Change Basics
The Bay’s Vulnerabilities
Wetlands as Buffers
Adaptation

Coda
Glossary
Historical Timeline
References
Learning More, Helping Out: A Few Places to Start
Art Credits
Index