When I was an MS student at CSUN in Los Angeles, I used to take undergrad classes on field trips to Malibu Lagoon to see and sample the marsh and lagoon habitats there. They are pathetically small and are just about all that remains of Southern California’s coastal wetlands. But there isn’t much else left in the sprawling urban area:
There is a plan to start a major restoration project in June that will increase flow through the lagoon, ideally flushing out nutrients and reducing pools of stagnant water. This project has been in the works for years and is supported by most NGOs and scientists. But now a bitter local controversy has erupted over the states plans to “fix” the lagoon. Get the whole story (as told by pro-restoration film-maker / scientist Randy Olsen) here.
First up, a heartfelt video from the local group opposing the restoration project.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJTMj03wFus[/youtube]
Next, representing the defense, a video produced by Randy Olson of shiftingbaselines.org outlining the science and why the lagoon needs some help.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fede_M_TBKI[/youtube]
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