Return of the Natives: Restoring the South Bay Wetland Ecosystem

Planning for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project is now underway. This Project, one of the largest wetland restoration efforts in the country, will restore 15,100 acres of tidal salt marsh in the South San Francisco Bay, and thereby bring back the native species and natural ecology of these beautiful wetlands. This ambitious Project will revive South Bay marshes, 85% of which have been lost over the last 150 years. The Project not only focuses on recovering wetland species, but will work to improve flood protection and will offer new ways for people to escape the high-pressure urban environment and enjoy the serenity of the Bay.

Lynne Trulio discusses the Project’s progress to date with a focus on the Science Program, a critical element to the success of the Project. There are many scientific uncertainties associated with this large-scale, complex undertaking, especially questions dealing with sediment dynamics, invasive species, mercury mobilization and species response to habitat change. Dr. Trulio describes the comprehensive approach, being developed by the Project’s Science Team, which will allow the Project managers to deal with scientific challenges and move forward with restoration in the face of uncertainty.

Presenter(s)

Lynne Trulio is an associate professor and recent chair of the Department of Environmental Studies at San Jose State University, where she has taught and conducted research since 1991. Her research investigates human impacts on species and habitats and seeks effective methods to mitigate or eliminate those impacts. Specific research has included studies of tidal salt marsh restoration in the San Francisco Bay, the effects of trail use on shorebirds and waterfowl, and the ecology and recovery of the western burrowing owl in California. She is currently the Lead Scientist for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. In that capacity, she directs the Project's science program and sits on the Project Management Team.

In 1999, Dr. Trulio was selected as an American Association for the Advancement of Science Environmental Fellow and, in that capacity, worked as an environmental scientist in the Wetlands Division, Office of Wetlands, Oceans & Watersheds of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, DC. She holds a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of California, Davis (1988) and an undergraduate degree in biology from Goucher College in Towson, MD (1979).