By

Pedro Morais
About the author

Pedro Morais is a Marine Biologist from Lisbon, Portugal, now living in the Bay Area. He is an alum of The University of Algarve and his work has appeared in a number of international publications. Pedro has a background in scientific writing and science outreach. He contributes as the Biodiversity Specialty chief editor of Frontiers for Young Minds. As a reporter for Estuary Magazine, Pedro aspires to link the science of some of the best estuarine scientists and managers in the world with a community that loves the San Francisco Bay and Delta. When not researching or writing, you can find Pedro enjoying the intricate dance of Tango.

Articles by Pedro Morais

31
Aug

Light and nutrients are the staples of every phytoplankton production recipe, but wind and tides in the Delta affect phytoplankton production too, say researchers.

Several projects in the lower Sacramento River and Delta have been exploring strategies for increasing the quantity and quality of food for migratory and resident fish. As part of a broader whole-ecosystem experiment that added nitrogen into the Sacramento River Deep Water Ship Channel, Leah K. Lenoch and colleagues at USGS and UC Davis looked into the channel’s hydrodynamics to explore whether the environmental conditions there hold promise for increasing the quantity of phytoplankton (the microscopic algae at the base of the food web). They knew that turbid and well-mixed waterways, including parts of the San Francisco Estuary and Delta, are not very productive because phytoplankton don’t get enough light and are at the mercy of invasive clams. However, where...
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