The Otter Limits Page 1

The Otter Limits

WWW.MONTEREYBAYSEAOTTERS.ORG

Volume 20 Issue #4 April, 2020

President’s Corner Dear fellow Divers: Strange times are upon us. Many of us have questioned decisions that are made and wondered where we fall in all of the things going on. Certainly, recreation at this point is is not a high priority, but as time goes on all of us need the rest and relaxation that comes from pursuing our passions. As members of a dive club, we obviously have chosen diving as a way of bringing our lives into balance. As our desire to resume our diving grows stronger, what should we do? Let us be very clear: There is currently no specific law

April 25th, Saturday, 8:00 a.m.* Club Dive, Stewart’s Cove, Carmel

April 29th, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. Club Meeting, Crazy Horse Restaurant, Monterey

May 8th, Friday, 6:00 p.m.* After-Work Dive, Coral Street, Pacific Grove

May 23rd, Saturday, 8:00 a.m.* Club Dive, Monastery North, Carmel

May 27th, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. Club Meeting, Crazy Horse Restaurant, Monterey

May 30th, Saturday, 8:00 a.m.* Boat Dive, Double Down, Monterey

RED indicates change from original calendar

*all times are for SHOW times, to assess conditions – mandatory briefing 30 minutes later

Please RSVP for dives to dive coordinator or on MBSO Facebook page!!

NEWSLETTER OF THE MONTEREY BAY SEA OTTERS DIVE CLUB

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or ordinance against diving. Where we go and how we go are certainly affected by the current regulation dealing with Shelter In Place. Groups, as a whole are discouraged, travel is discouraged, beaches are closed. So, someone who lives, say, in Pacific Grove who goes out and dives at a local site that is not closed could argue that it is exercise much like walking, running or bicycling. But, what if you’re coming from a long drive away? Then you are probably in violation of the shelter in place order. There are many other things to consider. What if something goes wrong? Do we want to put first responders at risk of a disease to rescue us? If we need a chamber, we will be going to the Bay Area as the Pacific Grove chamber is closed. Where will we get air? Certainly, as a club we have to conclude that until the Shelter In Place order is changed, we can't sanction club dives, or meetings for that matter. What you do personally is up to you, but please think beyond just the Shelter In Place order and think about the safety issues that are due to the order. Diving can be hard in so many ways, let's be happy when we don't have to think about these types of questions, but just normal things like surf height and weather. We have cancelled the current meeting and hope to be open for the next. For the meeting in May, if we can't meet we hope to a meeting by Zoom, so we hope that you can attend either way.

Will COVID End My Diving?

There was a recent article by Michael Klein in the Cayman Compass citing an Austrian study that indicated that having the COVID infection may cause permanent lung damage that could preclude future diving, even in patients who had mild symptoms. While this is a worrisome idea and we certainly need to be aware of it, the scientific studies just haven’t been done to verify or disprove it. The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society has issued a response to the Austrian study that you can read below: QUESTION: A recent article, “Tauchen nach Covid-19-Erkrankung?” concludes that divers who have had COVID-19 will be permanently unfit to dive. Is this opinion shared by diving medical professionals? What is the evidence? ANSWER: At the present time, we simply do not have sufficient data to support or refute the definitive proclamations made by this case series. Any attempt to generalize the effects of COVID-19 based upon a single case series (6-cases) published in the lay-press1,2, should be met with appropriate scrutiny. Covid-19 symptoms range from mild to severe. Some people have no symptoms at all while others require complicated stays in an intensive care setting and require ventilatory support. The recent report published in the lay-press1,2 has resulted in considerable concern related to the finding of pulmonary inflammation in mild cases of COVID-19. This case series reports findings that may provide some insight into post-infection recovery, with a potential knock-on effect on fitness to dive evaluations, and recommendations related to medical follow up studies, and convalescence period prior to a return to diving. However, we must interpret this small case series (6-cases) with caution, as there is not enough known about the natural history of this disease to confidently extrapolate prognostic guidance from this one report, nor generalize these findings to every case of COVID-19. Likewise, calls for a particular medical examination or screening test(s) following infection to determine fitness to dive, based on this work alone, are currently unsubstantiated and premature. The list of potential variables related to how this disease manifests, its clinical course, and longterm prognosis is lengthy and may include factors such as underlying medical conditions, age, disease severity, and secondary complications. Case reports suffer from multiple design weaknesses to include a lack of controls and randomization, which makes any conclusions that we may want to generalize to a larger population suspect. While these findings are indeed disquieting, it will take time before the potential impact on individual health, and any lasting effects on lung or heart function, are captured in the peer-reviewed

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literature. COVID-19 shares many of the same features as other serious viral pneumonias that require a period of convalesce before returning to full activities – a process that can take weeks or months depending on symptom severity. The long-term effects of COVID-19 on pulmonary function and recovery time will vary, and there is insufficient experience and sound clinical research to make accurate prognostic determinations. As the diving medical community gains more experience, and has the opportunity to study this illness and follow patients through their recovery, we will develop a thoughtful approach to making fitness to dive determinations. A single small case series is insufficiently powered to support definitive statements related to permanent lung function changes or air trapping risk – but these are unquestionably areas of keen interest within the diving medical community and will be closely monitored. Over the next several months, the global medical community will gain a better understanding of the natural history of this disease. In addition, multiple studies are underway looking at treatment modalities and how we may reduce morbidity and mortality. COVID-19 has gripped the world and there is no other time in our history where we have as many people searching for answers about a single disease. We will continue to track research on this topic and update this position as new information becomes available. Pools not quite open! Mark Holman, President

With COVID-19 Restrictions, What Happens to My Active Member Status?

As all of you know, being an active member of the club means enjoying benefits from our business members through the Club Benefits Card. But, what does it mean to be an active member? To be considered an active member, you must participate in at least one club event every six months. It could be a club dive, general meeting, or special event like the pumpkin carving contest or annual holiday party. We have a sign-in sheet at every event, and encourage you to sign in upon arrival. Note: If you show up for a dive that gets cancelled, be sure to sign in to receive credit for participating. With social distancing and shelter-at-home directives as a result of COVID-19, those of us in Monterey County are restricted to fewer than six-person gatherings at this time. Therefore, the club’s board has complied with the County’s and State’s directives and cancelled club events for the next month and will continue to monitor the situation for future dives. Additionally, normal active membership requirements are suspended until the club can resume its normal activities. If you are still diving, you can call Aquarius and Bamboo Reef to find out their current operational status – you may be able to make arrangements for 2 complimentary air fills per day, provided you present your Sea Otters Benefits Card upon arrival. If you have not received your 2020 Benefits Card by now, please contact me at treasurer@montereybayseaotters.org.

Walan Chang

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Treasurer’s Two Cents With COVID-19 restrictions in place, it’s been a very quiet month. Although we don’t know when we’ll be able to resume diving as a club, rest assured that the board continues to meet, plan for future dives, and brainstorm ways to keep diving at the forefront. This month, I included some links to underwater videos of interest, and we welcome all members to submit interesting links to our Newsletter Editor for inclusion in future newsletters. We’re not traveling or diving together, so this is a way to dive vicariously!

Going Stir Crazy? Check Out These Virtual Diving Options With COVID-19 orders severely restricting our ability to meet in person or host club dives, we are trying to find ways to keep everyone engaged in diving-related activities from home. If you’re itching to experience the underwater environment, here are some local underwater videos that you might enjoy, some of them are familiar haunts and others will be a new adventure. This month we’re along the California coast. Next month, we’ll go further away! We thank the CSUMB Department of Marine Science student and staff divers for these videos:

Point Lobos Marine Reserve – This MPA is one of the oldest in California. This video takes divers along the edge of the kelp forest of south Monastery Beach. Click here for short dunk or long dive. Hopkins Marine Reserve - This reserve is associated with Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station and has been closed to all by research scientists for decades. Click here for short dunk or long dive. Edward F. Ricketts State Marine Conservation Area - Explore the Breakwater Wall and nearby Metridium Field. Click here for short dunk or long dive. Point Lobos State Marine Reserve - This deep to shallow transect explores the wonders of the Carmel Canyon Head & north Monastery Beach. Click here for short dunk or long dive. Anacapa Island State Marine Reserve - This virtual dive highlights the unique habitats of Anacapa Island's MPA, part of the Northern Channel Islands. Click here for short dunk or long dive. Gerstle Cove State Marine Reserve - Salt Point SP/Gerstle Cove is one of the first underwater areas in California where marine life was completely protected. Click here for short dunk or long dive. La Jolla Underwater Park - Located within the Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve Click here for short dunk or long dive. Galápagos Islands - Whale shark! Click here for short dunk.

And thanks to NOAA Office of Marine Sanctuaries for these short interactive videos:

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Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary – Click here to swim with California Sea Lions. Monterey – Click here to see “Sea lions glide through kelp forest.” - Click here to see “Battling for precious space, two white-spotted anemones are surrounded by at least two encroaching tunicate species.” - Click here to see “Sea of orange cucumbers.” - Click here to see “Breakwater, the most visited dive site in Monterey Bay.” - Click here to see “Bats stars and strawberry anemones.” - Click here to see “Urchin-dominated systems are not quite barren.” Point Lobos State Park - - Click here to see Middle Reef.

Read next month’s newsletter for videos of a more tropical flavor! Walan Chang, Treasurer

Minute to Minute A MBSO Board meeting was held on April 21st, 2020. In attendance were President – Mark Holman, Vice President - Tom Hubbard, Treasurer – Walan Chang, Safety Officer – Randy Phares, Secretary – Kris Paulsen, Dive Coordinator – Corey Penrose, Newsletter Editor – Matt Denecour, and Activities Director - Scott McReynolds. Due to the Shelter-In-Place order issued by Monterey County, the April General meeting (4/29), the Cleanup dive (4/18), and Stewarts dive (4/25) have been cancelled. The after-work dive at Coral Street (5/8) and other May dives will be contingent upon the extension or lifting of the Shelter-In-Place rule. MBSO supports the effort to protect our community and will follow all guidelines regarding all dive and club activities. The next general meeting is scheduled for 5/27/20 at 6:30 PM pending updates from the county. The next MBSO Board meeting will occur 5/19/20 at 7:00 PM using Zoom. To join us, please use the information below. Phone one-tap: US: +16699006833, 517473912# or +13462487799, 517473912# Meeting URL: https://guidewire.zoom.us/j/517473912 Kris Paulsen, Secretary

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Opah! “What would have happened if Picasso had eaten too many chocolate-covered almonds at Gertrude Stein’s Paris flat? Yep, he would have created this polka-dotted beauty.” That’s how famed ichthyologist, Milton Love describes the Opah (or moonfish), which has a large oval blue body with bright red fins and mouth, and big white spots. They can get pretty large, think car-tire sized. So, the really cool thing about the opah is that it is the only fish on this planet that is known to be warm-blooded. The opah is able to circulate heated blood throughout its body, giving it a competitive advantage in cold ocean water where it uses its fast, efficient flapping to catch prey. In fact, it is this flapping that heats the opah’s body, speeding its metabolism, movement, and reaction times. This warm blood also boosts eye and brain function. The fish’s secret is a network of special veins and arteries, similar to what is seen in sharks and tuna, that spreads the warmed blood throughout the body. However, sharks’ and tunas’ systems warm only specific muscle groups and lose heat quickly, whereas the opahs’ unique plumbing and thick fat help it retain the heat. Opahs are found throughout the world in temperate and tropical seas, usually far from shore and at depths up to 1700 ft. They are fished commercially, but are often caught by anglers chasing albacore and by fisherman out for swordfish and salmon. (I wonder if this happens to Greek fisherman and then they yell out, “Opa!”) The multicolored flesh is said to be quite tasty. Matt Denecour, Newsletter Editor Sources: Probably More Than You Want to Know About Fishes of the Pacific Coast, Milton Love, Earthsky.org (May 2015), Oceanservice.noaa.gov

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April Meeting

Safety First

CPR and COVID-19

As most of us are aware, COVID-19 can be contracted by coming into contact with droplets of bodily fluid from an infected person. Performing chest compressions as part of CPR can mobilize droplets, much like coughing can. Since even asymptomatic people can carry and spread the virus, it is nearly impossible for a bystander to determine their risk of contracting the virus when intervening and performing CPR. If a bystander did nothing other than activating EMS, the victim’s chances of survival would be very low, while intervention would substantially improve the odds. However, it would also increase the rescuer’s risk of exposure to COVID-19. Ultimately the decision to act or not act is a difficult and personal one. If you determine that you need to respond, we recommend the following steps.

1. Activate EMS first, and if COVID-19 is suspected, alert them of this suspicion. When assessing pulse and respiration, quickly look for normal breathing in the form of chest movement and pink coloration of the skin and nail beds (“pink” applies regardless of natural skin tone). Do not place your ear and cheek close to the person’s mouth.2

2. If you need to perform CPR, be sure you have the proper personal protective equipment (PPE). This includes gloves, eye protection, a facemask and a gown (if available)1,3

3. When in doubt about the risk of disease transmission, compression-only CPR is the default protocol for adults. If there is a perceived risk of infection and you are doing compression-only CPR, place a facemask or cloth (such as a bandana, t-shirt or towel) over the person’s nose and mouth.1,2 This will help mitigate expulsion of droplets during CPR compressions.

4. If you have a pocket mask or bag valve mask (BVM), these may be used. If available, the BVM should be equipped with a high-efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA filter) for expired air.1,3 If a pocket mask is used, the mask should be secured in place with the elastic strap.

5. After the event has ended, use appropriate disinfectants to clean the area, and wash your hands thoroughly. Avoid touching your face, and consider showering, washing your clothes and disinfecting your shoes when you get home.

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For children who require CPR, the best practice is to provide compressions and ventilations; this is because the most common cause of pediatric cardiac emergencies is respiratory distress resulting from events such as choking or drowning. However, without a proper barrier, such as a pocket mask or BVM, compression-only CPR can be performed.4 Most children or infants whose heart has stopped are given CPR by a family member or friend; if you are unrelated to the child you will need to decide for yourself whether or not to perform rescue breaths.

The use of AEDs during the COVID-19 pandemic remains unchanged. AEDs should be applied as soon as possible in these emergencies according to your training and the AED’s prompts.

References

1 https://professional.heart.org/idc/groups/ahamah-public/@wcm/@sop/@smd/documents/downloadable/ucm_505872.pdf 2 https://www.resus.org.uk/media/statements/resuscitation-council-uk-statements-on-covid-19-coronavirus-cpr-and-resuscitation/covid-community/ 3 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-for-ems.html 4 https://cpr.heart.org/-/media/cpr-files/resources/covid-19-resources-for-cpr-training/community-faqs_pediatric-covid19-and-cpr.pdf?la=en&hash=ED782EA0B970C0514AC2C59A8F11578A3047D8D2

Source: Divers Alert Network Randy Phares, Safety Officer

How to Disinfect Your Dive Gear

Clean Gear Is Healthy Gear

We may never get sick of diving. But how do we avoid getting sick from diving—more specifically, from the gear we use? Properly cleaning dive equipment—especially your mask, reg and snorkel—can help reduce the chance of becoming ill. Here are tips on how to do it.

Scuba gear dries on a stand at a dive center.

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Regs

A reg’s mouthpiece is the most obvious place to start with a thorough cleaning, but it’s not the only part of a reg that needs attention; you also must clean the chamber inside the second-stage where your breath passes through as you inhale and exhale.

A proper cleaning requires not just removing salt, sand, slobber, etc., but sanitizing those surfaces. Note that sanitize is what you’re aiming for—making contact surfaces sanitary by removing virtually all germs. Killing off everything requires sterilizing or disinfecting, which isn’t practical for dive gear since it’s as likely to harm your gear—or you—as it is to harm bacteria and viruses.

In other words, save the bleach or other household chemicals for cleaning your bathroom floor.

A product commonly used to clean dive gear including rebreathers is Steramine TM , an EPA-registered, multi-purpose anti-microbial sanitizer. Widely used in the restaurant industry to sanitize food-contact surfaces, it’s non-corroding and non-staining, leaves no taste, is easy to use and inexpensive—our most recent 150-tablet bottle cost about $10.

Mix one tablet with each gallon of water and wait for it to dissolve (it will turn a pale blue). Swirl the reg’s second stage in the mixture to let it fill the interior chamber, occasionally pulling the reg out and holding it upright to let the mixture run through the exhaust diaphragm. Unless the reg is connected to a cylinder with the valve open, don’t press the purge, which can allow the mixture to enter the valve. Let the reg soak for a few minutes before removing.

Steramine leaves little residue. In our rebreather loop, it was unnoticeable after drying, with no taste or odor. But for your reg a final rinse in clean water won’t hurt if you’re inclined. Be sure to follow the same procedure with your octo.

BC inflator

Allow SteramineTM solution to flow into the mouthpiece and inflator, and press the oral inflate button to let the mixture flow through the valve. Let it soak a few minutes; it’s a good idea to pour some clean rinse water into the oral inflator with the valve open to rinse away any residue.

Masks

Your eyes and nose are also pathways for pathogens, so your mask likewise should get the treatment. Again, swirl it in the Steramine mixture and allow it to soak for a few minutes. If you’re one of those divers who lets defog agent build up in the crevices of your mask between the skirt and lens, be sure to scrub it out; a soft-bristled toothbrush will do the trick.

Snorkel

If you’ve read this far, you know the routine.

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Suits, hoods, boots

SteramineTM is registered for use on “non-porous articles.” That said, we’ve used it with good results on wetsuits—and especially boots—to kill off (or at least dial back) odors, though we can’t vouch for its anti-microbial abilities on neoprene.

We also know divers who spray it on neoprene rather than soaking it, though usually at a higher concentration of 2 to 3 tablets per gallon.

Rental Gear

Your own reg is one thing, but what about a reg that’s been in someone else’s mouth? The bottom line is that professional dive operators who rent gear should have procedures in place to thoroughly clean and properly sanitize gear after each use.

Operators we’ve dived with and rented gear from use a process like that described above. But any shop should be happy to tell you—or even show you—exactly the procedure they follow in cleaning and sanitizing the gear they rent.

Dive boat mask rinse tanks

Some divers use these shared tanks to rinse their masks, while others let them soak throughout surface intervals. Whether the tank contains sanitizer or not, it seems safe to say, if you use these tanks, your mask will be about as hygienic—or not—as every other mask in that tank. Just sayin’.

Source: Scubadiving.com (By Roger Roy April 3, 2020)

Matt Denecour

Scheduled Club Dives

All times are for SHOW times, to assess conditions – divers must be geared up for the mandatory briefing 30 minute later.

Please RSVP for dives to dive coordinator or on MBSO Facebook page!!

After Work Dive, Wednesday, May 8th, 6:00 p.m. Coral Street, Pacific Grove

Coral St. is a great location for a night dive. At night the fish, attracted by our dive lights, come out of their usual hidey-holes. This dive is a fish enthusiast’s delight as we typically see cabezon, lingcod, and rockfish. I have also found it to be a wonderful spot to get up close and personal with purple sea urchins. Who doesn’t love those?!

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We will meet at the corner of Coral and Ocean View at 6:00 p.m. to check out conditions and do a briefing. After that, we will don our gear and make our way out into the protected cove. This is not a difficult dive, but there are some rocks in close to be avoided. We have had great success here at night and I think this is a great time to come out and dive it. General Guidelines for After Work & Night Dives: To participate in after work dives or night dives, divers must carry a minimum of two lights, one main light and one marker light (usuallyattached to the tank valve). The dive must be terminated if a person experiences a malfunction of his/her light(s). That is why carrying three lights is strongly recommended so that dive team can continue the dive if one diver’s light ceases to function. For everyone’s diving pleasure, the club would like to thank all participants for adhering to these recommendations for club dives.

Club Dive, Saturday, May 23rd, 8:00 a.m. Monastery North, Carmel

North Monastery is one of those rare places where you can do a short kick from shore and go as deep as you would like to possibly dive. The huge granite boulders drop off at 60 degrees into the black abyss of the deep-water trench that comes very near the shore. It is possible to see the usual rockfish and perch and an abundance of lingcod that seem to thrive and grow

large in this marine protected area.

This is an ADVANCED dive and divers that come here should be prepared for a more challenging entry and exit in course gravel. We will talk about some strategies for safely diving here on the steep beach that has humbled even the most experienced divers at times. Because this can also be a deep dive, we recommend that only experienced divers attend this club dive.

If conditions are not agreeable we will retreat to our sure-thing dive location, San Carlos Beach.

Boat Dive, Saturday, May 30th, 8:00 a.m. Double Down, Monterey

Dive Coordinator Corey is a big fan of Pinnacles Dive Center in Novato. It is the kind of business that gives back to the community. We have never used them before, so we decided to give them a shot. We have reserved the entire boat for May 30, and there are eight spots total.

This 28’ aluminum boat will provide water and snacks. By previous arrangement, tanks and Nitrox tanks can be rented ($10 and $20 respectively). There is a small head with a porta-potty. Captain Rick has some after-dive jackets if you get cold and will fresh-water rinse all your gear on arrival back at A Dock.

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Get hold of Walan at Treasurer@montereybayseaotters.org if you want to grab a spot, but hurry, as the boat is already half-filled.

Previous Dives

We have cancelled some of our club dives due to the Shelter In Place order. Please watch our web page and Facebook page for updates on our future dives. If you are diving somewhere and want to share your experiences, please send us a quick dive report! It should be noted that the Pacific Grove Hyperbaric Chamber is closed at this time.

Other Dive Related Opportunities Sometimes it’s nice to splash in a new, exciting destination. Due to the Coronavirus situation, please verify these dates and destinations with the organizational sponsor. Bamboo Reef Costa Rica June 6-13 Cozumel July 18-25 Turks and Caicos November 7-14 Cozumel July 17-24 Backscatter Digital Shootout Bonaire June 6-20 Cocos Island August 31-September 11 Macro Workshop Lembeh September 16-26 Fiji November 14-24 Lightroom Immersion Workshop Little Cayman November 28-December 5, December 5-12 Solomon Islands September 7-21 See our business sponsors page for contact info!

Classes Aquarius Dive Shop www.aquariusdivers.com We can arrange classes for practically any PADI specialty to suit your requirements. Please call (831) 375-1933 for more information. Bamboo Reef www.bambooreef.com Open Water Class usually begins the third Tuesday of the month. Bamboo Reef welcomes arrangements for one-on-one instruction. In addition, any specialty or advanced course can be set up with a minimum of two divers. Please call (831) 372-1685 for more information.

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CSUMB – NAUI certification and classes.

Cannery Row Aquatics www.canneryrowaquatics.com This is the business now open where Breakwater Scuba used to be. Check their website for more information.

Membership The MONTEREY BAY SEA OTTERS

• Promote diving for education and pleasure, under observation of the highest safety standards.

• Provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and information, education, and training. • Strongly encourage continuing education, environmental conservation, good

sportsmanship, and cooperation with all other users of the marine environment. • Provide a network of dive buddies who believe in the ideals of this club. • Please follow link to the club website for more information or email:

info@montereybayseaotters.org

MBSO Club Dive Guidance The Monterey Bay Sea Otters dive club welcomes all certified divers to join club dives. For the diving pleasure of all participants, divers shall adhere to the following recommendations set forth by the club: A diver may participate as a guest for one dive, after which they are encouraged to officially join the club and pay the yearly dues. If a diver has not participated in a cold-water dive during the past 6 months or exhibits irresponsible or unsafe behavior, the Beach Marshal may exclude them from the club dive and refer the diver to a local dive shop for an equipment check and refresher course. Attendance at the dive briefing is mandatory for participants. All club dives will also be posted on our Facebook page and also a reminder email with more details will be sent out a few days before the dive. Please note that in order to better prepare for these dives, we kindly ask that if you are in fact planning on attending a club dive, let us know prior to the dive. We would like to encourage divers to bring along a mesh bag to club dives, in order to assist in collecting any trash found in the ocean. If we have to change dive location or cancel a dive, the Dive Coordinators (Corey Penrose and David Moore) will send out an email to all club members and the divers/guests, who already contacted them.

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General Guidelines For After Work & Night Dives: To participate in after work dives or night dives, divers must carry a minimum of two lights: one main light and a back-up light. In addition, divers should attach a colored marker light to their tank valve. Be sure to check your batteries before you arrive. For everyone’s diving pleasure the club would like to thank all participants for adhering to these recommendations for club dives.

Editor’s Note The Otter Limits arrives just in time to get you excited for our monthly meeting and remind you of our upcoming dives. In an attempt to provide a steady publication date, all material, and reports, need to be submitted to the editor no later than the 3rd Wednesday of each month for publication. Any SCUBA related articles are welcomed and appreciated and will be included as space allows. Any high-quality underwater pictures are appreciated. Please email to newslettereditor@montereybayseaotters.org. The newsletter has a section for member-led events. If you have an idea, please submit it to a board member for inclusion.

Other Events These events are not hosted or sponsored by the Monterey Bay Sea Otters.

Old neoprene

Is your old wetsuit or neoprene drysuit not doing its job anymore? Bring it to Adam at Bamboo Reef for recycling. You will keep it out of the landfill and your old neoprene will become a nice yoga mat.

Urchins! Do you want to find out what is being done about the urchin infestation? Sign-up with the Giant Kelp Restoration project for the newsletter at G2kr.com. You can sign up as a volunteer diver as well.

Giant Kelp Restoration Project

Results of the April FGC Meeting & Next Steps by well-known local diver Marc Shargel.

Dear Diving Community and Ocean Conservationists,

First, my apologies for making you wait a few days for this summary of last Thursday’s (4/16) Fish and Game Commission meeting. The effort reminded me how emotionally draining this kind of work is, which is why I backed away from regulatory politics at the end of the MLPA

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process 13 years ago. We all owe tremendous gratitude to everyone who participated in the meeting, everyone who tried to participate, and everyone who sent their comments to the commission. Your numbers were huge, your words were eloquent, and our organization as a community was tremendous. One of the staff noted that comments numbered 260, with zero opposing the petition. Every speaker on the topic was in favor. A special "thank you" is due to Keith Rootsaert. Without his tireless efforts over the past few years, we would have no petition, no organization at all and no project to rally behind.

How Did We Get Here? If you’ve been diving in Monterey/Carmel in the last five years, you’ve seen urchin barrens taking over what used to be lush kelp forests. There’s been no sign of let up or recovery. Up to 90% of the historic giant kelp cover along the Monterey-Pacific Grove shoreline has been lost and urchin barrens extend into Point Lobos and at least as far south as Yankee Point. In February of 2019 Keith Rootsaert petitioned the Fish and Game Commission (FGC) for an emergency change to the rules, allowing removal of large numbers of urchins from Tankers’ Reef (aka the Shale Beds, east of Monterey Harbor) and from the Edward F Ricketts State Marine Conservation Area which runs along Cannery Row from the Coast Guard Breakwater to Hopkins Marine Station. The plan has been to have volunteer citizen-scientist divers develop an urchin removal protocol that could lead to restoration of lost kelp forests. In April 2019, on the advice of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the Commission denied the petition. In January of this year Rootsaert re-submitted the petition.

What Happened? The commission asked for the advice of CDFW, who in turn asked for two more months to study the petition and make a recommendation. So the commissioners will take up the issue again, and probably render a decision on the petition when they meet on June 24-25. Please plan to participate in another letter-writing effort around June 1.

More Detail Commission Vice President Samantha Murray, who is a star among marine conservation advocates and whom I know from MLPA days, is concerned about such direct hands-on management of ecosystems within a Marine Protected Area (MPA). As you will recall, the petition asks to allow removal of large numbers of urchins in two specific sites, one is Tankers Reef and the other is the Edward F Ricketts State Marine Conservation Area. I am concerned that any efforts to preserve or recover kelp forests inside of MPAs may be difficult because of this objection. Meanwhile, I have photographed urchins invading areas of kelp forest and rocky reef inside of the Point Lobos State Marine Reserve, which I helped to get expanded in 2007. In months those areas will likely be reduced to urchin barren and all their bio-diversity gone. That has already happened in extensive portions of the Monterey and Pacific Grove shoreline, where the petition asks that volunteers be allowed to try to restore destroyed kelp forests. That entire shoreline is ringed with a jigsaw of small no-take reserves and partially protected conservation areas. During the MLPA process, the Regional Stakeholder Group in which I participated carefully mapped those areas to include portions of important habitat types. We understood that kelp forests and rocky reefs were especially important because they are the most bio-diverse habitats that exist in shallow water. If the invading urchins reduce them to barren areas, all that biodiversity will be lost and the extraordinary effort that has gone into establishing and monitoring those MPAs will all be for naught as this ecological catastrophe, totally unanticipated when we worked on MLPA, will render those efforts meaningless.

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The MLPA legislation both calls for a “human hands off” approach to Marine Reserves, and for “adaptive management” of all MPAs. So there is a legitimate debate about what degree of hands-on management is appropriate within Marine Reserves. The Edward F Ricketts SMCA has received no such “hands off” treatment, as both hook-and-line fishing and commercial kelp cutting are permitted and have been on-going for decades. However, the CDFW has been extremely strict about prohibiting experimental manipulation of species within any type of MPA in Southern California.

There was some concern expressed about how urchin removal might impact endangered Southern Sea Otters. Historically, otters have preyed upon urchins as food. While urchin barrens had begun to devastate patches of seafloor in Southern California before 1995, the common belief was that such an invasion would be “impossible” in central California with its significant number of resident otters. But in Southern California, otters were wiped out in the 19th century and have yet to return. I wrote with relief about otters as a backstop against urchin devastation in my book, Yesterday’s Ocean: A History of Marine Life on California’s Central Coast. Now I am photographing the impossible on almost every local dive I do. Clearly, otters are not eating urchins within urchin barrens. Researcher Josh Smith has found that otters do still eat urchins within kelp forests, where the urchins presumably feed well on abundant kelp and other algae. Moreover, kelp forests are a preferred habitat type for sea otters. Otters rest wrapped in the kelp that forms a canopy on the surface, and eat many different species of shellfish which all grow within kelp forests. Urchin barrens, on the other hand, support little more than urchins. I have yet to see a crab or a scallop within one.

Research coordinated by Keith Rootsaert indicates that the tremendous number of urchins in the barrens now surrounding the Monterey Peninsula have exhausted their food supply and that each urchin is so emaciated that it is not worth the energy it would take an otter to collect and eat it. Amazingly, this food limitation has not halted the reproduction of urchins. The Reef Check divers that Rootsaert has led have documented a new cohort of young urchins joining their parents on rocks that used to support kelp forests. How they have energy to survive and continue to multiply their numbers is something of a mystery, one of many that exist around the urchin barren phenomenon. We need answers, and the only research effort we know of relies on adoption of Rootsaert’s petition. Otherwise even experimental urchin removal in meaningful numbers remains illegal.

Status The petition is now on the desk of Sonke Mastrup of the CDFW. The Department will render a recommendation ahead of the June 24-25 Commission meeting, when we hope the petition will be adopted at last. Note that Rootsaert originally submitted this exact petition as a response to an ecological emergency in February 2019, 14 months ago. The commission denied the petition in April 2019 on the advice of the Department.

Based on the objection about doing this work inside of an MPA, and the concern about otters, I won’t surprised if the department recommendation is to modify the petition before adopting it. They could suggest reducing its geographic scope, or even recommended denying it permanently. That would be disastrous, as it would force all law-abiding ocean lovers to stand by helplessly while kelp forests disappear, possibly permanently.

Your help will again be needed as this story unfolds. To volunteer to cull urchins when we’re finally allowed to do it, send email to Keith Rootsaert at keith.rootsaert@salasobrien.com or reply to me and I’ll forward your name.

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Gratefully,

Marc Shargel

Sea Life Photographer, Author of Wonders of the Sea: North Central California's Living Marine Riches and Wonders of the Sea Volume Two: Marine Jewels of Southern California's Coast and Islands and Wonders of the Sea Volume Three: Hidden Treasures of California’s Far North Coast and Yesterday’s Ocean: A History of Marine Life on California’s Central Coast

As posted on the Giant Kelp Restoration Facebook page.

Board of Directors - 2020

PRESIDENT Mark Holman president@montereybayseaotters.org

VICE PRESIDENT Tom Hubbard vicepresident@montereybayseaotters.org

ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR Scott McReynolds activitiesdirector@montereybayseaotters.org

CO-DIVE COORDINATOR Corey Penrose divecoordinator@montereybayseaotters.org

CO-DIVE COORDINATOR David Moore

SECRETARY Kris Paulsen secretary@montereybayseaotters.org

TREASURER Walan Chang treasurer@montereybayseaotters.org

SAFETY OFFICER Randy Phares safetyofficer@montereybayseaotters.org

NEWSLETTER EDITOR Matthew Denecour newslettereditor@montereybayseaotters.org

http://montereybayseaotters.org/ Webmaster – Corey Penrose Facebook

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2020 MBSO ACTIVITIES CALENDAR

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New Year's Day

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Fisherman’s Wharf 2

Clean Up Dive: San

Carlos Beach

MLK Day

Club Dive: Otter Cove

General Meeting

4

10

18

25

29

Independence Day

After Work Dive:

Lovers Cove

Clean Up Dive: San

Carlos Beach

Club Dive: Copper

Roof

General Meeting

New Year's Day

After Work Dive:

Fisherman’s Wharf 2

Clean Up Dive: San

Carlos Beach

King Day

Club Dive: Otter Cove

General Meeting

JULY

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After Work Dive:

Lovers Cove

Valentine's Day

President’s Day

General Meeting

Club Dive: San Carlos

Beach

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26

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After Work Dive:

Metridium Field

General Meeting

Club Boat Dive: TBD

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McAbee Beach

General Meeting

Club Dive: Butterfly

House

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Labor Day

After Work Dive: Otter

Cove

Clean Up Dive: San

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Membership

Appreciation BBQ and

Dive: Lovers Point

General Meeting

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29

After Work Dive:

Metridium Fields

Easter Sunday

Clean Up Dive: San

Carlos Beach

Club Dive: Stewart’s

Cove

General Meeting

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31

Columbus Day

After Work Dive:

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Club Dive: Monastery

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Pumpkin Carving

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30

After Work Dive: Coral

Street

Mother’s Day

Club Dive: Monastery

North

Memorial Day

General Meeting

Club Boat Dive: TBD

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Veterans Day

After Work Dive:

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Thanksgiving

Club Dive: Butterfly

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After Work Dive: San

Carlos Beach

Father’s Day

General Meeting

Club Dive: Stillwater

Cove

TBD

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25

Annual Holiday Party

After Work Dive: Coral

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