Wednesday January 22, 2025
Scripps Institute of Oceanography —
The devastating fires in Los Angeles have numerous secondary effects as scientists are finding out now off the coast of Southern California.
Researchers from UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography and NOAA Fisheries’ Southwest Fisheries Science Center were collecting samples off the California Coast when the Palisades, Eaton and other fires broke out. The smoke that billowed from those fires dropped ash and debris that coated the ocean surface as much as 160 kilometers (100 miles) offshore.
The ship and its crew began collecting samples of the ash from the deck and the surrounding waters. NOAA has adjusted the ship’s course to make use of the chance to revisit the area to track any effects on the marine ecosystem. The survey is part of the collaborative California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) program among the state of California, Scripps Oceanography and NOAA.
“We’re positioning ourselves to answer the question, ‘What does this mean for West Coast fisheries and the food web that we all depend on?’” said Nicolas Concha-Saiz, NOAA Fisheries’ chief scientist for the survey. The survey is being conducted aboard the NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker, which left San Diego Jan. 3.