Santa Barbara Channelkeeper

Keeping Watch for Clean Water

clean water

Annie Lovell Joins Channelkeeper

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Channelkeeper is pleased to welcome Annie Lovell to the team as our new Development Director. In this role, Annie will help develop strategic partnerships and raise funds to support Channelkeeper’s mission and programs.

Annie brings experience in fundraising, grant writing, and community building, along with a deep appreciation for the ocean and a background in environmental science.

We took a moment recently to chat with Annie and learn more about her experience and interests.

  1. Tell us a little about yourself. Where did you grow up? What were you interested in as a young person?  

I grew up in Arizona and spent a lot of my childhood playing sports, volunteering, camping, hiking, and traveling with my family. I learned how to swim before I learned how to walk, and as a kid, I spent a lot of time underwater in the pool and then swam competitively in high school and into college. I volunteered at various local non-profits, including the foodbank and women’s shelter. I participated in a life-changing service-learning trip to Nicaragua in college. My parents also took us on wonderful family vacations that connected us with nature in different parts of the country. This translated to my spending a lot of time planning trips with friends to explore beautiful areas of the southwest, and then New Zealand, as a study abroad student. These early interests have persisted throughout my life. I was recently looking through my “special box” of memorabilia from my childhood and it was so fun to see how the things I spent my time doing as a child are still my primary interests as an adult.  

  1. It sounds like you have a deep personal connection with the ocean. Mind sharing a little about that?   

Many of my childhood summers were spent at the beach. I always loved the ocean, spending hours playing in the waves and collecting shells. When I moved to Hawai’i after college, my love for the ocean deepened. While living on O’ahu I spent as much time as possible playing in the ocean – surfing, outrigger canoe paddling, swimming, scuba diving, and sailing. Water, and the ocean in particular, provides so much to me – it’s my happy place, the basis for my community connections, and I feel most at home when I am in or near the water.   

  1. What inspires your work to protect coastal ecosystems?    

When I was living in Hawai ‘I, I began volunteering for local non-profits working to protect the ocean and coastlines, including the Surfrider Foundation and Hui o Ko’olaupoko. The more time I spent at the beach and in the ocean, and the more I learned about coastal and marine ecosystems, the more I wanted to protect these special places. Protecting our coastlines and oceans and the communities that rely on these resources gives me great purpose in my life.  

I believe that everyone should have access to clean water, not only in terms of its value to human health, but as a sanctuary for individuals to escape to for recreation, reflection, or connection. For this simple reason, I am motivated to protect these ecosystems for both my own benefit, but also for the benefit of everyone, both current and future generations.  

  1. Do you have a personal hero?   

Captain Liz Clark has been a role model and hero since I first learned about her sailing ventures and environmental advocacy. Her capabilities and adventurous spirit inspire me to pursue my dreams and feel capable of anything I set my mind to. I also respect her environmental ethic and how she leads by example. She has done so much to change the perspectives of young women wanting a more conscious and self-aligned life. While not many of us can live this same low-impact, ocean-centric lifestyle, I often dream about one day sailing around the world or living on a remote Pacific Island. 

  1. You have experience in both environmental science and fundraising. Tell us about how you use your superpowers to support environmental conservation. 

My 8th grade biology teacher first got me interested in the natural sciences and I went on to get a degree in environmental studies and psychology. Then I began my career in environmental consulting focusing on water resource management. I spent a lot of my time in the field – gathering water samples, building rain gardens, or writing environmental assessments. However, I was always most interested in the human components of the projects – Why would someone care about this work? What policies can be changed to protect our environment in the long term? How can the community be engaged in this work? When I started combining my experience as an environmental scientist with my understanding of human behavior, I found that I was most effective at developing relationships, building community, and communicating the importance of protecting our environment. 

  1. What aspects of Channelkeeper’s work are you most excited to engage in?   

Before moving to Santa Barbara, I spent about five years working for an active travel company, leading hiking and cycling trips around the world. Travel has always been an important part of my life, but it has felt at odds with my environmental values. I’ve been very interested in the sustainable tourism industry and finding ways for travel to have a positive impact on the environment and communities. Therefore, I am excited about engaging in SBCK’s efforts to address the cruise ship industry’s impacts in Santa Barbara.  

In graduate school, I also became fascinated with seaweed aquaculture and the development of the industry along the U.S. west coast. I am looking forward to supporting potential opportunities for Channelkeeper to guide responsible aquaculture development. I’m also very excited about participating in the Watershed Brigade cleanups as a way of connecting with the community and getting my hands dirty to protect our watersheds and coastlines.  

  1. Any highlights so far? 

Within my first month on the job, a highlight has been developing the relationships between Channelkeeper and the UCSB Bren School of Environmental Science and Management. After graduating from the Bren School in 2022, I wanted to continue my connection with the program. I am now excited to find ways to meaningfully collaborate with students and faculty.   

  1. How do you balance your life? What do you do for fun? 

I love to spend as much time in the water as possible – mainly surfing and swimming. I also love outrigger canoe paddling, which is an incredible way to enjoy the ocean and be part of a wonderful community. Other than that, I enjoy hiking, backpacking, riding my bike, and doing yoga. While I prioritize movement and time outdoors, I also love reading and getting together with friends for a meal or venturing to new parts of the world that I have yet to explore.  

  1. If you were an aquatic organism, what would you be and why?   

If I were going to be any aquatic organism, I would be a dolphin so that I could swim fast, glide gracefully through the water, and surf the waves. I’ve had a lot of dolphin encounters, and I have never lost my appreciation for their presence and beauty as they play in the water. 

If you would like to connect with Annie to personally welcome her, you can reach her at [email protected].

Welcome Aboard, Nate!

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Channelkeeper is pleased to welcome Nate Irwin to our team as a Policy Associate. In addition to his passion for environmental science and profound local knowledge, Nate brings extensive policy development and community organizing experience and ebullient positive energy. He will be leading the charge on many of Channelkeeper’s advocacy campaigns and environmental policy programs. We took a moment recently to learn more about Nate, his deep appreciation for the ocean, and what inspires his work to protect the Santa Barbara Channel and its watersheds.   

Tell us a little about yourself. Where did you grow up? What were you interested in as a young person?  

I grew up on the Mesa and spent most of my time outside, either playing an organized sport, or surfing. My interests haven’t changed much since I was a kid. I have always felt a connection to the natural world, and luckily, I still feel the same today. There is no better teacher, healer or communicator than mother nature.  

It sounds like you have a deep personal connection with the ocean. Mind sharing a little about that?   

My dad taught me to surf when I was three in Cabo San Lucas, and I have been completely obsessed ever since. There has not been a bad day that couldn’t be cured by a jump in the ocean. Growing up so close to the beach has allowed me to become in tune with its natural rhythms, the tides going in and out, afternoon northwesterly winds, flat spells, big swells, and glassy mornings. I was extremely privileged to have a dad that felt the same way about surfing as I did, calling us both in sick when there were good days. I have a deep reverence for the ocean because of its enormity, complexity, beauty and importance to the health of the earth.  

What inspires your work to protect coastal ecosystems?    

I am inspired to protect coastal ecosystems because of their interconnectedness with the health of the land. The Santa Barbara Channel is such a unique and important part of the world and keeping it healthy involves protecting both the watersheds that flow into it, and the ocean that receives this freshwater. Our coastal ecosystem is both beautiful and highly productive, making it incredibly important to ensure that we keep it healthy. I have spent the majority of my life in close proximity to the coast and feel a sense of responsibility to protect it in return for all it has done for me.  

Do you have a personal hero?   

My parents are my heroes because they allowed me to grow up in Santa Barbara and taught me to have respect for nature. They are both educators in Santa Barbara and I was fortunate to have their guidance growing up. My mom influenced me to be aware of my surroundings and appreciate all living things and each moment we get to be on this planet. My dad taught me that it is important to be yourself and to use your creativity to express yourself.   

You have experience in environmental advocacy and inspiring others to get involved in conservation. Tell us about Illuminate Conservation.   

In my final year of college at Antioch, Santa Barbara, I learned about Bradbury Dam/Lake Cachuma and its impact on the endangered Southern California steelhead. This species really got me interested in conservation and inspired me to get involved in helping to save them from extinction. I started an initiative to raise awareness about the importance of this species by using art, advocacy events, a petition and through writing about the species. My dad and I painted large scale steelhead inspired abstract art to highlight the conservation issue this species was facing. The fact that this species is disappearing is so alarming because they are the indicators of healthy watersheds. Illuminate Conservation is a platform that has raised over $16,000 to support NGO’s that work in watershed restoration, 48,000 signatures in support of the steelhead on the Santa Ynez River and taught local students about this issue using art as a catalyst for change and awareness.  

What aspects of Channelkeeper’s work are you most excited to engage on?   

I am most excited to get involved in watershed protection projects and the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary designation. I feel that public awareness of the importance of healthy watersheds will guide policy towards a more sustainable future for our county and state. The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary designation is a once in a lifetime opportunity to preserve a section of the marine environment forever and for future generations to enjoy. This is a monumental moment because the sanctuary designation incorporates Indigenous voices and traditional ecological knowledge in the preservation of their lands that they have stewarded since time immemorial.  

Any highlights so far?  

My biggest highlight so far has been attending the “Rally at the Rock” organized by the Northern Chumash Tribal Council to advocate for the inclusion of Lisamu’ (Morro Rock) and its surrounding waters in the sanctuary proposal. It was an incredible day, and I was so honored to be a part of it.  

If you were an aquatic organism, what would you be and why?   

I would be a dolphin off the coast of California because they are so graceful and look like they are having so much fun. They also seem to have such a close-knit family that they get to explore the ocean with. 

Protecting Biodiversity in the Santa Barbara Channel 

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Home to acres of giant kelp forests and a diverse array of marine species—from anemones and nudibranchs to sheephead and yellowtail, and sharks, sea lions, dolphins, and whales—the Santa Barbara Channel is considered an ecological treasure and one of the most biologically rich ecosystems on Earth.  

Its unparalleled species density and diversity can be attributed to the Channel’s location in the transition zone between the cool northern California Current and warm Southern California Countercurrent, where two distinct ecological systems merge. In addition, wind-driven upwellings, which force deep, nutrient-laden ocean waters to the surface nourish a productive food web that includes plankton, squid, hundreds of fish species and invertebrates, dolphins, sharks, birds, and whales. 

Why is biodiversity important? 

Biodiversity is essential for healthy ecosystems. It is a primary indicator of our planet’s health. All of the organisms within an ecosystem are interconnected, so when biodiversity declines and organisms disappear, it affects the entire ecosystem’s ability to function and survive. Humans, as part of this network, are reliant on the ecosystem’s health and biodiversity. Every breath we take depends on another life, another species. Healthy ecosystems provide us with clean water, air, a secure food supply, essential medicines, and they also help moderate the climate.  

Help us Protect Biodiversity 

Humans have caused rapid ecosystem changes and loss of biodiversity across the planet in recent decades. In the Santa Barbara Channel scientists have documented changes to fish and bird populations, shifts in ocean pH levels, and an increase in the frequency and intensity of harmful algae blooms that have indicated imbalances. 

Channelkeeper works to protect biodiversity in the Santa Barbara Channel by conducting important fieldwork, increasing public awareness, advocating for more protective policies, and enforcing environmental laws.  

Marine Protected Areas 

Out on the water, our team monitors human activity within nine of the nineteen marine protected areas in the Santa Barbara Channel and educates the public on their ecological, economic, and cultural value. These designated areas provide sanctuaries for species to grow and reproduce. We also mobilize a corps of volunteers to help track human activity in them through our MPA Watch program. 

Plankton Monitoring 
Channelkeeper staff collects plankton samples and sends them to the California State Health Department for analysis as part of our effort to monitor hazardous algal blooms in the Santa Barbara Channel.  

In addition, our team periodically assists with domoic acid response efforts and important research in the Santa Barbara Channel by collecting water samples and sending them to experts with the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. The data and observations that we collect during these sampling events will help provide a better understanding of the geographic extent of algae bloom events and how climate stressors may affect them.  

Policy Development 
Through ongoing advocacy efforts to address pollution, habitat destruction, and the impacts of climate change, and protect both water resources and public health, we work to improve environmental policies at the local, state, and national level. Some of the issues that we are working on are regulating pollution from irrigated agriculture, evaluating the impacts of aquaculture project development in the Santa Barbara Channel, addressing the environmental risks and limiting the number of cruise ships that anchor off Santa Barbara, and restoring flows to the Ventura River.  

We hope you’ll join us in taking action locally to protect the biodiversity in our backyard from threats from habitat destruction, pollution, and the effects of climate change. Become an MPA Watch volunteer and help track activity in these aquatic sanctuaries, join our Watershed Brigade to help remove trash from local waterways and reduce pollution, or support our work to protect and restore ecosystems throughout the Santa Barbara Channel with a donation. Let’s work together to ensure that they are healthy and vibrant for future generations. 

Every Yard Counts in Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change

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The Santa Barbara Channel is vulnerable to the impacts of a changing climate. Your yard can help protect it. 

The Santa Barbara Channel is one of the most biologically productive ecosystems found on Earth. However, changing oceanographic processes, warming water temperatures, ocean acidification, and sea level rise produced by a changing climate are already affecting the health of marine ecosystems.  

We’ve seen recently how coastal runoff from intense rains and flooding flushes trash and debris into the Santa Barbara Channel, degrading water quality. We’ve also seen how high nutrient levels from coastal runoff contribute to harmful algal blooms. Yet our community can minimize some of these impacts by making a few changes in their own yards.  

By conserving water and managing runoff, focusing on soil health, and reducing emissions from lawn care equipment, each of us can lessen our yard’s climate impact while conserving resources and enhancing habitat. Here are a few ideas to implement in your landscaped space. 

Replace Your Lawn

Fertilizing, mowing, blowing, and irrigating a lawn leads to a sizable climate footprint. In 2011, an Environmental Protection Agency report found that gas-powered lawn and garden equipment emitted approximately 6.3 million tons of volatile organic compounds and criteria pollutants (carbon, nitrous oxide, and particulate matter), and 20.4 million tons of carbon dioxide. By planting a variety of native, drought-tolerant plants, trees, shrubs, and ground covers that don’t require high maintenance, you can reduce your landscape’s water use, while providing habitat for birds, pollinators, and beneficial insects. You can make the transition gradually over time by replacing a different patch of turf each year. In addition, many municipalities offer rebates when you replace your lawn with water-wise plants. 

Focus on Soil Health

Healthy soils are the base of thriving ecosystems. Soils rich with organic matter support healthy populations of beneficial organisms while retaining moisture and helping sequester carbon. 

Avoid using synthetic fertilizers. Synthetic fertilizers are not only extremely energy-intensive to manufacture, but they also provide more nitrogen than plants can absorb, contributing to polluted runoff and hazardous algae blooms in the ocean, lakes, and rivers that collect runoff. 

Alternatively, composting food and yard waste is a great way to build healthy soil in your yard. Organic material will improve the fertility, soil structure, and water-holding capacity of your landscape. Planting a cover crop is another way to support healthy soil since plants can help hold soil prevent runoff during heavy rains, protect soil from evaporation during droughts, and capture nutrients to prevent nutrient loss in runoff.  

Be Water Wise

Long periods of drought followed by heavy rains make it increasingly important for each of us to manage and use water wisely. Collecting water from your roof in rain barrels, a cistern, or storage tanks can help you to retain water for future use.  

It’s also a good idea to consider the permeability of your landscape and make the most of downpours by diverting stormwater to designated areas in your yard where it can infiltrate and recharge groundwater resources.  

When irrigation is necessary, drip systems tend to waste less water to evaporation and runoff than conventional sprinklers. Mulching around the base of plants can also help prevent moisture loss while nourishing the soil. 

Use People Power

Reduce your yard’s greenhouse gas emissions by limiting the gas-powered equipment you use to maintain it. Lawn and garden equipment like lawnmowers and leaf blowers account for up five percent of total air pollution in the United States. In fact, according to the EPA, one gas mower spews 88 lbs. of greenhouse gas CO2, and 34 lbs. of other pollutants into the air every year. For a climate-smart alternative, choose hand tools like reel mowers, shovels, and brooms. 

Resources: 

Santa Barbara County 
 
WaterWise Santa Barbara Landscape Rebate Program 

Green Gardener Program 

WaterWise Garden Contest 

Ventura County 

Ventura Water Turf Replacement Rebate 

Ventura Water Conservation Resources 

Drip Irrigation Retrofit Program 

New Report Outlines a Comprehensive Approach to Prevent Ocean Plastic Pollution

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[En Español]

How can we address the global issue of plastic waste? A new report published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS), titled Reckoning with the U.S. Role in Global Ocean Plastic Waste, not only evaluates the United States’ contribution to plastic production and waste generation, it also offers recommendations for reducing the amount of plastic that makes its way to the ocean.

The NAS study, required by the bipartisan Save Our Seas 2.0 Act of 2020, reports that the U.S. generated more plastic waste in 2016 than any country in the world—a total of 42 million metric tons (MMT) and estimates that in 2016 about 1 to 2 MMT of US-generated plastic waste entered the environment in the U.S. and abroad. Previous studies estimate that globally 8 MMT of plastic waste enters the world’s ocean each year.

The report found that the leading sources of ocean plastics include stormwater systems, wastewater discharges, atmospheric deposits, trash from boats and ships, beach waste, and transport from inland areas by rivers and streams.

These findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced tracking and monitoring to gather comprehensive data and address knowledge gaps by employing technologies such as sensors, biochemical markers, and tracers, as well as the implementation of standardized measurements to collect meaningful data sets that are scientifically robust and comparable.

Recommended Interventions

What steps can the U.S. take to reduce the amount of plastic waste entering the ocean? The report recommends that a variety of interventions be implemented across various stages of plastic’s path from source to ocean.

As a fundamental step, the study suggests that the U.S. reduce overall plastic production to affect change throughout the waste stream. And, with system-wide solutions in mind, the report also recommends that the U.S. improve waste management infrastructure and accelerate innovations in material and product design to develop plastic substitutes that degrade more quickly or are easily recycled.

Physical interventions include frequent cleanups, improving the methods used to remove plastic waste from the environment such as extracting plastic waste from stormwater, and reducing the amount of plastic waste that enters the ocean directly from vessels via the establishment of waste disposal infrastructure, incentives for land-based disposal of fishing nets and gear, better tracking methods, and increased enforcement.

Ultimately, the report recommends the creation of a federal research and policy strategy that focuses on identifying and implementing interventions throughout the plastic life cycle.

The NAS report not only provides an informative assessment of the U.S.’s contribution to the global ocean plastic problem, but it also offers actionable recommendations that, if implemented, may position the US as a global leader in reducing plastic pollution and creating a more circular economy. In this sense, the report presents an opportunity to effect positive change and transform our nation’s approach to mitigating plastic pollution.

What Can We Do?

As an organization, Channelkeeper works to reduce the flow of plastic pollution to the ocean through an array of advocacy, monitoring, outreach, and education initiatives and as a lead community voice supporting the transition away from single-use plastics. We conduct cleanups, advocate for local ordinances to minimize distribution of these single-use plastic items by using less harmful alternatives, and we support a film plastic recycling program in partnership with Abblitt’s Fine Cleaners that converts plastic waste into pellets used for decking and other household materials.

On an individual level, each of us can take steps to reduce the flow of plastics into the environment. We can lessen the plastic used in our lives and choose products that come in minimal packaging. We can leverage our purchasing power to choose more sustainable options by purchasing secondhand items and products in bulk, and by reusing items rather than buying new ones. We can also simply recycle the plastic items that we use. Finally, we can support government policies that reduces plastic use. Support government initiatives at the city, county, state, and federal level to reduce the use of single-use plastics and hold businesses accountable for the packaging they produce.

In November of 2022, every Californian will have an opportunity to take action against plastic pollution by voting in support of the California Plastic Waste Reduction Regulations Initiative. If passed, the law would require the State to take steps to reduce plastic waste including requiring that single-use plastic packaging, containers, and utensils be reusable, recyclable, or compostable. It would also tax producers of single-use plastics and use the revenue to fund recycling and environmental programs.

We invite you to learn more about this upcoming ballot initiative and support federal legislation like the Federal Break Free from Plastic Act of 2020, which would hold plastic producers fiscally responsible for collecting, managing, and recycling or composting their products after consumer use and would establish minimum percentages of products that must be reused, recycled, or composted.

Reducing the amount of plastic waste that finds its way into the environment will require the combined efforts of legislative action, producer responsibility, and consumer pressure. Channelkeeper is pleased to support the transition away from plastic and continues to take an active role in pollution reduction through ocean pollution monitoring and prevention, in addition to political advocacy and community education.

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