In the beautiful bay waters near Sausalito, California, a whole world of marine life thrives just beneath the surface. Silvery fish flash along emerald green meadows, crabs and other invertebrates scuttle about in the blades, and waterbirds dive into these eelgrass beds to forage. And now, thanks to a broad collaborative effort, 700 acres of this vital habitat will be safeguarded as the Richardson Bay Regional Agency’s (RBRA) new designated Eelgrass Protection Zone.
 
Thanks to the years-long efforts of many partners, including the RBRA, the Environmental Protection Agency, the California Natural Resources Agency, local and state representatives, San Francisco State University, Merkel & Associates, Coastal Policy Solutions, Audubon California and many others, a critical area of eelgrass beds will be protected and restored. These vibrant meadows are crucial for foraging birds like Surf Scoters, which rely on eelgrass to feed on herring eggs. Eelgrass also plays a key role in coastal resilience, stabilizing shorelines, improving water quality, and supporting a vast web of marine life.

Earlier this month, Audubon California's Casey Skinner, Program Director for San Francisco Bay and Director of the Richardson Bay Audubon Center and Sanctuary (RBACS), joined the official launch ceremony to talk about this important milestone and Audubon California’s commitment to the Bay. “Throughout my tenure, my staff and colleagues have never stopped thinking about eelgrass,” she shared. “As a spawning service for fish, foraging area for high densities of migrating and wintering birds, stabilizer of shorelines and sequester of carbon, it was clear eelgrass needed our help. With the help of everyone here to today - eelgrass management and conservation will protect Surf Scoters, countless waterbird and shorebird species, Pacific Herring, and our shared shoreline.”

Richardson Bay provides critical habitat for tens of thousands of diving ducks, grebes and other waterbirds who rely on the bay for roosting and feeding each winter. Now with the combined area of the Eelgrass Protection Zone and the Richardson Bay Audubon Sanctuary, Surf Scoters, Lesser and Greater Scaup, Western and Horned Grebes, Double-crested Cormorants and other birds will have a fully connected haven for 6 months of the year, where they can rest, forage, and fuel up before making the grueling migration back north. 

“We can see through our monitoring efforts that these waterbirds will forage in the eelgrass beds and then come into our Sanctuary to rest and nap,” explained Casey. “Which is exactly what they need to get ready for their ultra-marathon journey.”

Last year, RBRA, San Francisco State University, and Audubon California won a $2.8 million federal grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency to support eelgrass restoration and protection efforts. This work focus on improving environmental conditions in the bay through targeted restoration, marine debris removal, wildlife monitoring, and outreach. The Audubon California team on the ground will continue to lead the waterbird monitoring surveys, eelgrass bed drone flyovers, community engagement, and outreach work to educate stakeholders. The Center and Sanctuary’s Audubon Youth Leaders program and Fellows program continues to build up the next generation of environmental leaders, training young conservationists in eelgrass restoration and science. 

Support our efforts to protect and restore this invaluable ecosystem HERE, and stay updated on our work HERE.