Tidal wetlands in the S.F. Estuary have declined by 85% and resulted in the endangerment of species such as the salt marsh harvest mouse and the California Clapper Rail, as well as loss of vital ecosystem services, since so much of this area serves as a nursery for fish, crabs, etc., one of its important functions.

As the director of the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mike will discuss challenges facing the marvelous and complex estuary ecosystem of SF Bay.

We are restoring thousands of acres of tidal wetlands, but we are also fighting against sea-level rise & extreme storms, failing sediment supply & flooding. Will tidal marshes drown with a resulting lack of migration space, sediment supply, and disconnection from watershed processes? Or will this crisis help to bring our area together to take restoration & coastal management to the next step towards integrating tidal wetland dynamics into our urban shoreline environments?

Dr. Mike Vasey is not only a renowned expert on the manzanita, but has taught conservation biology and environmental studies at SFSU. He lives in Pedro Point and has been active with the Pacifica Land Trust and on the San Pedro Creek Watershed Coalition.

Mike received his BA in History from Dartmouth College & an MA in Ecology &Systematic Biology from SFSU, as well as his PhD from UCSC with a dissertation on the conservation of maritime chaparral, especially as it is influenced by fog.