‘Extremely disturbing’: High levels of heavy metals at Monterey Bay Estuary – the Los Angeles Times

Days after one of the world’s largest lithium ion battery storage facilities burst into flames in Monterey County, researchers found alarmingly high concentrations of heavy metals at a nearby estuary that is home to several endangered species…
A coastal California community is sliding 4 inches a week toward the ocean – SFGate

Residents in scenic communities along the coast of Southern California have known for years that the Palos Verdes Peninsula is prone to landslides, but new research from NASA reveals a startling speed at which the Los Angeles subregion is shifting into the sea. …
Bay Area homeowners battle California Coastal Commission over right to build seawall – the San Francisco Chronicle

A legal battle playing out between the California Coastal Commission and homeowners who want to build a large seawall near Half Moon Bay could have repercussions along the entire coast.
San Clemente sales tax ballot measure for beach sand is falling short – the Los Angeles Times

Before becoming San Clemente’s new coastal administrator last year, the beach has always held a nostalgic place in Leslea Meyerhoff’s heart. “Some of my earliest memories are walking the beach in Santa Monica with my grandma,” she said. “I also recall fond times boogie boarding, collecting seashells or just enjoying a stroll at the beach.”..
San Clemente’s ‘sand czar’ looks to turn back the tide of coastal erosion – the Los Angeles Times

Before becoming San Clemente’s new coastal administrator last year, the beach has always held a nostalgic place in Leslea Meyerhoff’s heart. “Some of my earliest memories are walking the beach in Santa Monica with my grandma,” she said. “I also recall fond times boogie boarding, collecting seashells or just enjoying a stroll at the beach.”..
California kelp – Oceanographic

Off Monterey, the Edges of Earth expedition team falls in love with the vibrant, dense kelp forests of the region….
The California sand wars: As beaches shrink, neighbors and cities fight for what’s left – the Los Angeles Times

California is a place of magnificent tectonic forces that lift mountains only for them to be constantly eroded by glaciers, wind and rain, ground down to one of the most basic commodities on Earth: sand…
Billionaire accused of stealing sand from Malibu’s Broad Beach, lawsuit says – the Los Angeles Times

A lawsuit filed last week alleges that Mark Attanasio, billionaire businessman and owner of the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team, has been using excavators to dig up sand from Broad Beach and carry it back to his house as part of an ongoing construction project…
The Precarious Future of Big Sur’s Highway 1 – the New Yorker

How climate change is threatening one of the country’s most famous roadways..