Experts on steelhead and birds to speak in Morro Bay
The Morro Bay Estuary Program’s State of the Bay event series brings two statewide experts in biological sciences to speak at the Morro Bay Natural History Museum.
The talk, titled “Birds, Fish, and the Necessity of a Healthy Bay,” takes place on April 27 at 6 p.m. Ann-Marie Osterback, Postdoctoral Fellow at NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service in Santa Cruz will discuss the impacts of drought on steelhead recovery.
Andrea Jones, Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon California, will discuss the importance of the Morro Bay estuary and watershed to the migration route known as the Pacific Flyway. Both of these talks illustrate the importance of habitat conservation and restoration to the many species of wildlife that depend on multiple natural habitats to survive.
Dr. Ann-Marie Osterback is a postdoctoral researcher at UC Santa Cruz and the NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center in Santa Cruz, CA. At NMFS, Osterback conducts research on Scott Creek to better understand factors impact steelhead and coho salmon on the central California coast.
Before becoming a Postdoc, Osterback conducted her dissertation at UC Santa Cruz where she studied the impact of predation by Western gulls on juvenile steelhead. Before her stint in Santa Cruz, she served as an aquatic ecologist with Stillwater Sciences in Berkeley and is also an alum of the Watershed Stewards Project. She is originally from Washington State, and earned her B.S. in Biology at Western Washington University, but she has called California home for the last 15 years.
Andrea Jones has worked for Audubon in California for more than ten years. She leads coastal programs and works with staff and the network of Audubon chapters across the state to implement conservation projects at high priority Important Bird Areas, like Morro Bay. She oversees conservation efforts in priority bird species and serves as a spokeswoman for bird conservation across California. Jones received her M.S. in Wildlife Conservation/Ornithology and her B.S. in Wildlife Biology and Management from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
“Birds, Fish, and the Necessity of a Healthy Bay” is part of the Morro Bay National Estuary Program’s State of the Bay event series, which invites people to explore the estuary through science. Every three years, the Morro Bay National Estuary Program hosts this event series and publishes a report that answers questions about the health of the bay and the lands that drain into it.
People can find answers to questions such as: Is it safe to swim in Morro Bay? How healthy are Morro Bay’s eelgrass beds and bird populations? How much of the bay and watershed have been protected and restored? The 2017 State of the Bay report is available now.
Find the report online at www.mbnep.org/state-of-the-bay, along with all of the details for a month-long series of State of the Bay events that invite people to explore our bay through science. These talks, walks, hikes, interactive presentations, and special events include A National Treasure in Words Poetry Contest reading on May 19, and our fourth annual DogFest event on Saturday, May 20. Everyone is invited to come participate in the fun and learn about Morro Bay, the natural treasure in our backyard.
The Morro Bay National Estuary Program brings together citizens, local governments, other nonprofits, agencies, and landowners to protect and restore the Morro Bay estuary. The Estuary Program has been conducting monitoring and research, restoring natural habitats, and educating residents and visitors on how to keep Morro Bay clean and healthy since 1995.
