Postulated by Bayer (1955), the calcaxonian gorgonians may have close affinity to the pennatulaceans based on the resemblance of axial structure observed under polarized light microscopy. To further confirm the phylogenetic relationship between the tw . . .

Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) within San Francisco Bay (SFB) have been described as stable compared with those in coastal northern California, like Tomales Bay (TB). Historical data (1970s - early 2000s) indicated an overall increase in adults . . .

Mangrove ecosystems are at continued risk of degradation and deforestation through anthropogenic activity. Mangroves once covered 75% of tropical coastlines, and only 30 - 50% of this habitat currently remains. These ecosystems provide important benef . . .

The occupation of an ecosystem by a new top predator could affect the stability of a food web. In San Francisco Bay (SF Bay), there is evidence for a multi-decadal disappearance of harbor porpoises {Phocoena phocoena) that spanned from the 1940’s to t . . .

Groundwater sustainability is at the forefront of resource management. In light of climate change and growing populations, meeting future water needs must be met with planning and innovation. This is particularly challenging in cities where recharge i . . .

Plastic debris in aquatic environments can accumulate ions from the surrounding water, potentially altering the fate of trace metals in these ecosystems. Mechanisms driving this process are poorly understood, and may be attributed to organic matter fo . . .

Morphological variations in widely distributed plants may be driven by phenotypic plasticity or by underlying genetic differences. In the brackish open water region of the San Francisco Estuary (SFE), a population of sago pondweed, (Stuckenia pectinat . . .

This study examined the benthic zone of tidal habitats in the San Francisco Estuary (SFE) in order to characterize this understudied part of the ecosystem. Microbial community composition was evaluated in relation to nutrient flux rates from the sedim . . .

A systematic monograph of the lichen genus Usnea from the remote, under-explored islands of Sao Tome and Principe (ST&P) in tropical West Africa is presented, treating 11 species representing 2 subgenera, Usnea and Eumitria. Ten of the 11 species are . . .

The Amazon River Plume (ARP) is a productive region of the Atlantic Ocean where riverine nutrients drive particulate productivity. A portion of the carbon produced by phytoplankton is released as dissolved organic carbon (DOC); this research investiga . . .

Small-scale shifts in species distributions are expected to occur under future climate for many species. These shifts can have consequences as they alter population dynamics, and it is important to understand when and why they occur. The intertidal po . . .

Batoids exhibit unique body plans, with derived fin morphologies such as the anteriorly expanded pectoral fins that fuse to the head, or distally extended anterior pelvic fin lobes used for a modified swimming technique utilized by skates (Rajidea). T . . .

Climate induced shifts in population distributions are widely documented around the globe as a means of animals behaviorally responding to their physiological tolerance limits. The rocky intertidal shore is known for its highly thermally variable envi . . .

In the California Current System, baleen whales are used as a proxy for ecosystem health because they have been widely studied as a top predator. Oceanographic variability in the California Current System is dominated by three basin scale climate patt . . .

Four species of phytoplankton (Rhodomonas salina, Skeletonema marinoi, Prorocentrum micans, Isochrysis galbana) were grown under present-day low (400ppm pCOi, pH~8.1) and predicted-future high (lOOOppm pCOi, pH~7.8) ocean acidification conditions usin . . .

Movements of 23 sub-adult and 10 juvenile black rockfish (Sebastes melanops) implanted with acoustic transmitters were monitored during 16 months in Carmel Bay, California. Most tagged sub-adult black rockfish (14 fish) were resident to the study area . . .

The giant green sea anemone (Anthopleura xanthogrammica) inhabits the rocky intertidal zone in California and Oregon. Two photosynthetic algal symbionts, zooxanthellae and zoochlorellae, make these anemones important primary producers in the intertida . . .

Ocean acidification is exacerbated along the California shelf due to the upwelling of deep CO2 rich waters. This process of upwelling is driven by along-shore winds, which vary in strength by season. We present the relationship between along-shore win . . .

As a highly urbanized ecosystem, the San Francisco Estuary (SFE) has many wastewater treatment facilities discharging large volumes of high nutrient effluent into the estuary. Phytoplankton primary production can be depressed in the presence of ammoni . . .

Ischnura gemina, the San Francisco forktail damselfly (Family Coenagriortidae) is endemic to the San Francisco Bay area, and is identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as a vulnerable species. Research from the late 1970s thro . . .