CCE Graduate student, Minerva Padilla Villa, explains why it’s important to sample the coastal marine waters after the devastating wildfires in LA, to better understand the potential toxic effect of these urban wildfires on the marine environment. CCE/CalCOFI scientists collected water samples at the peak of the fires back in early January and are following the impact and persistence of contaminants through post-fire sampling facilitated by the LA city/county and OC sanitation districts. NOAA’s Andrew Thompson explains how important young marine fish may be impacted as well.
