On the evening of June 3, The Signs of the Tide forum on Marine Debris was held at the Encinitas Library Community Room. This forum focused on "understanding San Diego's water" and included talks from local politicians, scientists, and activists. Among these included City of Encinitas Councilmember, Teresa Smith, Scripps Institute of Oceanography scientist, Miriam Goldstein, City of Santa Monica Environmental Analyst, Josephine Miller, and Regional Water Quality Control Board Assistant Executive Officer, Jimmy Smith. Each speaker provided valuable, informative data and explanations of San Diego's water quality and issues, making Signs of the Tide a great event that the Surfrider Foundation and RAP were very proud to have sponsored.
Josephine Miller from the City of Santa Monica was particularly inspirational in her talk about marine conservation efforts in Santa Monica. The City of Santa Monica has successfully banned all Styrofoam from every food service vendor in the city, including even places like Jamba Juice and Taco Bell! Miller and the City of Santa Monica have demonstrated beautifully the power that community residents hold in a consumerist society. Santa Monica is an inspiration and example for all coastal California communities! Please check out their website to learn more about their efforts at:
http://www.smgov.net/departments/ose/
Scripps Scientist, Miriam Goldstein, of the SEAPLEX expedition of Scripps also had a particularly interesting talk, with many great photos and explanations from their journey to the North Pacific Gyre. Along the trip, Goldstein and fellow Scripps scientists randomly sampled the ocean along their entire journey. In every sample taken, plastic was among the constituents. For more on her trip and about Scripps research, please visit their website at:
Special thanks to RAP volunteers, Jon Severino and Steve Kwik for manning the table at the forum!
