{"id":5634,"date":"2010-01-19T11:31:00","date_gmt":"2010-01-19T11:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lbpost.com\/articles\/life\/pets\/life-on-the-breakwater-between-a-rock-a-hard-place\/"},"modified":"2010-01-19T11:31:00","modified_gmt":"2010-01-19T11:31:00","slug":"life-on-the-breakwater-between-a-rock-a-hard-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/pets\/life-on-the-breakwater-between-a-rock-a-hard-place","title":{"rendered":"Life On The Breakwater: Between A Rock & A Hard Place"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"ecause we\u2019re a pet<\/strong> (read: \u201canimal\u201d) column, we\u2019re reminded of John Godfrey Saxe\u2019s notable poem, \u201cThe Blind Men and the Elephant,\u201d when we consider the breakwater reconfiguration project. The poem metaphorically describes every situation in which more than one educated person attempts to solve any problem, be it health care reform or a bridezilla wedding. Six blind men \u201cto learning much inclined\u201d went to \u201csee\u201d an elephant, and each accurately described a different part of the beast as being the whole.<\/p>\n

Last July, we attended a presentation by the mayor and city council that covered the reconnaissance, or information-gathering, phase of the breakwater reconfiguration study. The study is in place to determine if the federal government\u2014specifically the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)\u2014has an interest in an actual study of the breakwater and to answer questions from the Long Beach community. (Visit this link<\/a> for complete and ongoing information.)<\/p>\n

Alternatives and perspectives bobbed around like flotsam on the waves we no longer have: sink a section, move a section, remove a section, divert the L.A. River flow because most of the crap in the water comes from our good upstream neighbors anyway, do absolutely nothing. It\u2019ll improve the benthic (region at lowest level of a body of water) habitat. It\u2019ll destroy the ecosystem. It\u2019ll create a newer and more improved ecosystem. It\u2019ll upset the mollusks. The waves will be an economic stimulus and an environmental fix. The waves will wash away peninsula homes as if they were sandcastles.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cIt\u2019s a very complex environment,\u201d Long Beach government affairs manager Tom Modica told us in a near understatement. \u201cIt may bring waves, ecosystem\u2014lots of changes. The next step is to be an in-depth study of everything, including wildlife, from feral cats to barnacles, categorizing everything that\u2019s out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Who lives\u2014we wondered\u2014in the breakwater? We had some idea, but we decided to see for ourselves: rent a boat, snorkel among the rocks, take a few photos. But that proved expensive, near impossible and plumb scary. Moreover, neither of us owns an underwater camera. So, we did what everyone else without time, funds or bravado does: We watched a video.<\/p>\n

Our Main Library at 101 Pacific Ave. in the Long Beach Civic Center, which itself has of late experienced being underwater, has an impressive video in its collection. The Long Beach Breakwater Study shows what\u2019s in and around the underwater reef. At all its levels, the breakwater, like our city, teems with diverse life, from the starfish on the sandy bottom to the brown pelicans nesting on the rocky reefs. Sea lions sun themselves on the rocks; mussels cling to them; terns, cormorants and oyster catchers seek shelter there, all hiding, breeding and feeding. Feral cats were mentioned as well, but it\u2019s questionable as to whether they live that far from shore. As feral advocate and rescuer Antje Hunt put it, \u201cWhat did they do, swim out there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"It\u2019s all very idyllic, but the structure is human made and may also be human reconfigured in the future. The breakwater actually ends in Long Beach; it starts at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro (pictured at right<\/em>). If the USACE approves any removal or reconfiguration, the birds, beasts and barnacles will be subject to conditions similar to those of residents who moved to doublewides at a mobile-home park only to find that, decades later, the lease on the land was up. Fortunately, there are advocates for some of the more mobile residents: the Long Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation<\/a> says that the kelp and beach habitats that result from the sinking will result in healthy species proliferation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re proposing to lower the [Long Beach section of] the breakwater 20 feet below sea level,\u201d said chapter chair Emiko K. Innes. \u201cBy making the existing breakwater into a rocky reef habitat, we\u2019ll get an economic benefit and a healthier ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Innes said that the reef would replace the sandy bottom area, which is all sediment, and that other species such as rockfish would be attracted to it. The kelp would grow more abundantly and, given a decent flushing system (Innes agrees that most of the pollutants come from upriver), the cloudy water would clear up, making diving more enjoyable. Innes told us that the organization also wants to ensure that the federally protected brown pelicans and other seabirds that nest in the rocks won\u2019t have to seek temporary housing. The least terns, she said, prefer nesting on the shore, but the pelicans, who lay their eggs on rocks, would with the Surfriders\u2019 proposal have the hard rocks replaced on the shores or oil islands.<\/p>\n

Modica agreed that the habitat on the breakwater needs to be taken into account, and his hope was to replace and enhance it as well. \u201cIf you take down a section, you\u2019ll create another habitat,\u201d he said. However, Tom Murray, who owns Pacific Sporting Goods near Belmont Shore, sees a different side of the elephant.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s a terrible idea,\u201d Murray said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t make any sense. Long Beach\u2019s harbor is one of the cleanest in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite concerns over the pollution coming from upland through the river, Murray said that testing done in the water shows improvement. Murray was in fact one of the divers and producers of The Long Beach Breakwater Study. He\u2019s dived there for decades and notes the number of breakwater residents who swim, fly or hang on there, from splash zone to sandy bottom: seals, sea lions, birds, plume worms, soft coral, sponges and kelp\u2014the \u201cfastest-growing plant in the world.\u201d Murray said that a breakwater reconfiguration would cause a problem with sand buildup, more erosion on the peninsula and a destruction of habitat, both human and animal.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll admit that the tests are better, and that there is improvement in harbor water quality, but more needs to be done to make it healthy for people to swim in on a reliable basis,\u201d said Mike Schaadt, executive director of the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro<\/a>, coincidentally located near the spot where the breakwater starts (and which is not under study for reconfiguration). Schaadt said that testing waters have gotten more complex and precise over time; the water quality, he said, may have been much worse, but we didn\u2019t have testing available to signify this.<\/p>\n

\"\"Schaadt spent over an hour talking with us about breakwater life (he\u2019s a diver, too, and frequently spends his lunch hour underwater grazing with sea stars and their fan worms). He\u2019s also familiar with the history of the breakwater and reminded us that, like the structure, the pollution from both upriver and down is made by humans. The current standards for water cleanliness, he said, are based on the improved tests, which can identify more pollutants that affect the health of living creatures, both on land and in the sea, but that population growth in Orange and Los Angeles Counties is a challenge to new systems implemented to limit human-related ocean pollution.<\/p>\n

Schaadt agreed that taking the breakwater down would create more waves and circulation in Long Beach; without it, currents would sweep out the rivers from upland. He touched on poisons such as DDT dumped into the water and also said that when the breakwater was built, there were fewer people here, and the salt marshes could \u201crecycle\u201d the garbage in the water. Now, he said, the marshes are 90 percent gone. Worse, with asphalt and cement added to the paths, there\u2019s much less natural detoxification, and the waste from millions of people all goes into the ocean.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is why we\u2019re so dirty,\u201d Schaadt said.<\/p>\n

Schaadt guided us through the aquarium\u2019s interactive habitat exhibits (Crawl-in Aquarium and Mud Walkthrough\u2014what could be more fun?) and the Aquatic Nursery. The nursery is actually a working and teaching laboratory, and we admired the critters flourishing in it and the work done to keep them so. Which brought up the mobile home park idea again: Where will the tenants go?<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they move the rocks, the animals [that live primarily in and on them] will probably die,\u201d Schaadt said. \u201cBut, the same thing happens when a storm comes in. The natural world is considered to be a safe world, but that is not the case. And what we\u2019ve done with the natural world is not good.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut,\u201d he continued, looking at Judy\u2019s distressed face [disclaimer of sorts: Kate still eats some species of fish], \u201cit\u2019s hard for us to separate our feelings for living things. If the breakwater is removed, some will live, and some will die. Some will colonize elsewhere\u2014these creatures are very good at colonization. They\u2019ll go to other parts of the ocean. Life will find a way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The birds and sea lions, Schaadt said, most likely won\u2019t appreciate the removal of the rocks, but they don\u2019t rely on them as their permanent residence and will also go elsewhere. The Surfriders\u2019 solution of the creating a hard-rock resting place for the pelicans would most likely be amenable to the state bird.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you build it, they will come,\u201d Schaadt said of the breakwater, and this undoubtedly also goes for the \u201cbed rock.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even with the collateral damage, it\u2019s always good to take a step back, be it pier or pachyderm.<\/p>\n

\u201cA healthy perspective helps you understand the natural world better,\u201d Schaadt said.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\u201cPerhaps the time has come to formulate a moral code which would govern our relations with the great creatures of the sea as well as those on dry land. That this will come to pass is our dearest wish.\u201d<\/em><\/div>\n

-Jacques Cousteau <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"\"
Western and Clarke grebes, courtesy of the International Bird Rescue Research Center<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"
Sandy bottom habitat display at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"
Brown pelicans in aviary at IBRCC, Courtesy of IBRRC<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"
Orange sea fans displayed at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"
Mussels hanging on rocks, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium display<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"
Odd mermaid species<\/em><\/p>\n

Pet Projects<\/span><\/p>\n

Reminder: Wheely Willy\u2019s Memorial Service<\/strong>
There will be a Memorial Service to celebrate the life of Wheely Willy, the spirited little Chihuahua that passed away on December 22, 2009. Tuesday, Tuesday, January 19, 12:00-2:00pm, Memorial Garden at Long Beach Animal Care Services, P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village, 7700 E. Spring St. Long Beach, CA 90815<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What wildlife lives around the Long Beach Breakwater? And what will happen to them if the structure is removed or reconfigured? Judy and Kate find out in this column.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-5634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pets","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5634"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5634\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5634"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=5634"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=5634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}