Threats

Marine Debris: Simply put, marine debris is litter that kills marine mammals. It can leach toxic pollutants, endanger human health and hurt business and tourism by dirtying our beaches and coastlines. So much trash reaches the ocean through our storm drain systems that an estimated 60-80 percent of all marine debris originates from land-based sources.

Marine Life Decline: Development, unsustainable fishing and littering are examples of human activities that threaten populations of marine life each day.  Scientists report that 90 percent of the world’s large fish, such as tuna and swordfish, have been removed from the ocean through overfishing. California’s iconic salmon and steelhead populations are being threatened by a variety of factors including dams, water diversions, habitat loss, water quality degradation, and changing ocean conditions.

Climate Change: Climate change is caused by the release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into our atmosphere – primarily caused by the burning of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels, such as petroleum and coal, release carbon dioxide that traps heat in our atmosphere. Warmer air and water temperatures result in loss of sea ice, sea level rise, ocean acidification and extreme weather – all of which threaten fish and wildlife populations as well as our quality of life.

Water Pollution: The largest source of contaminants in California’s ocean comes from polluted runoff from our streets, parking lots, and golf courses. When it rains or you wash your car, the water picks up motor oil, trash, lawn or agriculture fertilizers and pesticides from the ground and sweeps them into storm drains, eventually reaching our creeks, rivers, and ocean. These pollutants  endanger marine life and human health and can lead to costly beach closures.