Now they are white and they sink.
(picture by Richard James, coastodian.org)
In a March 30 post on The Coastodian, Richard James writes about the continued plastic pollution created by the Drakes Bay Oyster Company in Drakes Estero, a commercial operation within the Philip Burton Wilderness Area which is preventing the final completion of that congressional act. In that post he describes having met with DBOC owner Kevin Lunny last year who noted the black tubes Mr. James and others continue to find along the shoreline are not his but instead are from the old operation he purchased. He assured Mr. James any tubes he found were not from the current operation which instead used longer white tubes.
My tubes are white.
(picture by Richard James, coastodian.org)
That sinking feeling
What Mr. Lunny neglected to tell Mr. James was that in addition to being white the current plastic tubes used also sink, preventing them from floating away to be discovered on the shorelines of the Philip Burton Wilderness Area. On the sediments they provide one more artificial surface on which the non-native tunicate Didemnum vexillum (Dv) is able to establish colonies on from which tailed larvae, buds, and portions of the colonies spread. Contrary to what the shellfish industry would have one believe, it in not a beneficial "structure" which enhances the habitat of Drakes Estero.
DBOC is not the only source.
April 12, Point Reyes beach cleanup day
April 12 will provide the public a focused opportunity to help clean up the plastic and trash - from a multitude of sources - which accumulates along the shorelines of Point Reyes. If you are interested in helping to ensure this form of pollution is minimized you may sign up here.
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