Bay Area scientists uncover environmental challenges, opportunities in Golden Gate Biosphere

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- From the sand dunes of the Presidio to our coastal shoreline to the towering Redwoods of Marin County, the Bay Area's ecosystems are so spectacular, they're recognized by the United Nations. They are linked together as a single treasure known as a biosphere.

They are a shared responsibility for the men and women taking care of it all. Just ask them.

"We are in the middle of this U.N. designated Golden Gate Biosphere," said Lew Stringer of San Francisco's Presidio Trust.

"It's places around the globe that have both really unique biodiversity, incredible biodiversity and sustainable human use," said Alison Forrestel, Ph.D., with the National Park Service and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

The Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary's Marine Biologist Sara Hutto said, "So the Golden Gate Biosphere Network is just that. It's a network that is aiming to conserve this incredibly productive and diverse biosphere from forests all the way to the open ocean."

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To understand why the concept of a Golden Gate Biosphere matters, we took a whirlwind tour. We started with a newly released study, detailing the plants, species and ecosystems that are most at risk and how to protect them.

From blue whales migrating off our coast to salmon in our streams and the redwoods that surround them, dozens of categories in all were included in the report, along with their threat level.

Lew Stringer manages restoration for the Presidio Trust, one of multiple agencies contributing to the biosphere's climate vulnerability report.

"So what was that? It was, it is an important way for us to come together with a bunch of scientists and a bunch of land managers and say this is what we collectively think is the most vulnerable habitats and species to climate change," he said.

And Stringer said many are interconnected, with the Presidio's recently restored dunes and salt marshes contributing to the health of migrating species and San Francisco Bay itself.

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"These salt marshes clean our water and to prevent massive storm surges. And so we need these things, and we need to restore them in order to adapt as sea level gets higher and excessive heat and droughts become more prevalent."

Some species, like coho salmon, pass through different parts of the biosphere in their lifetime and depend on all of them to stay healthy. Forrestel is chief of natural resources and sciences at the GGNRA, which includes miles of streams running through protected areas like Muir Woods.

"Yeah, so salmon are a species that's a perfect symbol for connecting the marine part of our ecosystems to the terrestrial part of our ecosystems. They spend half their life in the ocean and then half their life in our streams, such as here in Muir Woods. And they're absolutely vulnerable to climate change and other changing conditions in their environment," says Forrestel.

The GGNRA is spearheading creek restoration and salmon releases, while also paying close attention to conditions on the coast.

"And then what we can do to move the needle and make sure we preserve our incredible biodiversity into the future," Forrestel said.

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And along the shoreline of Half Moon Bay, NOAA Marine Biologist Sarah Hutto shows us samples from the natural kelp forests that are part of the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary -- and also listed as threatened in the biosphere report.

"So we can have kelp forest patch disappear. And a lot of times it comes right back within a year or two. But it's also highly vulnerable and we've really seen that firsthand here on the northern coast of California, where we've lost over 90% of our kelp forest. I mean, imagine going to your favorite redwood forest and nine out of 10 trees are gone," she said.

She says the kelp are being pressured by climate-driven changes in the ocean, as well as natural factors. But, other issues from plastic pollution to dangerous chemicals trace back to Bay Area cities and could provide another opportunity.

"So the biosphere provides an incredibly unique and impactful opportunity for agencies to work across boundaries and to look at the system as an interconnected suite of parts that are all dependent upon one another and that people importantly, are a part of that. We're not separate from it. We're a part of that system. And so every action we take--whether it's on land, how we dispose of chemicals, how what we let our pets do when they're out recreating on beaches and how we act in these wild places--really impacts the system and vice versa," Hutto said.

It's an opportunity that covers 28,000 square miles and touches the lives of 10 million people, offering a chance to work together across counties, parks and agencies to better protect the Bay Area's unique environment.

The Golden Gate Biosphere was first recognized by the United Nations agency UNESCO. It's one of more than 700 sites located in roughly 130 countries around the globe. Learn more about the biosphere here.