Castro Rocks Explained
The Castro Rocks are several rocks in Richmond, California, protruding from the waters in San Francisco Bay between Castro Point and Red Rock Island. The rocks lie almost directly under the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (I-580).[1]
Name
The rocks are named after Don Víctor Castro, a local rancho-era land owner. They are shown as "Castro Rocks" on an 1850 survey map of the San Francisco Bay area made by Cadwalader Ringgold.[2]
Harbor seals
Castro Rocks are the home of many harbor seals,[3] which lie on them to rest and sunbathe. The rocks are the largest harbor seal rookery in the northern San Francisco Bay and the second largest in the Bay Area itself.[4] There are also sometimes sea lions on the rocks.[5] The rock's Harbor Seals also frequent Mowry Slough, Brooks Island, Yerba Buena Island, and Mare Island.[6]
The seals at this location have high levels of toxic pollutants including the DDT, PCBs, PBDEs, PFOS, PFOA, and mercury.[7]
External links
37.9328°N -122.417°W
Notes and References
- http://www.topoquest.com/map.asp?lat=37.93235&lon=-122.41732&datum=nad83&u=4&layer=DRG25&size=m&s=24 Topographic map
- Web site: General Chart embracing Surveys of the Farallones Entrance to the Bay of San Francisco, Bays of San Francisco and San Pablo, Straits of Carquines and Suisun Bay, and the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, to the Cities of Sacramento and San Joaquin, California . Ringgold . Cadwalader . Stuart . Fred D. . Everett . Chas. . Harrison . David Rumsey Map Collection . San Francisco Common Council . 1850 . 25 February 2021 .
- http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~halmark/tagging.htm Tagging program
- http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~halmark/castro.htm SFSU
- http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/releases99/feb99/noaa99r109.html NOAA Seeks Comments On A Proposed Reauthorization For California Department Of Transportation To Harass Seals During Bridge Reconstruction
- http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~halmark/vhfmap.htm vhfmapweb.jpg
- http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/19/MN11SRS7D.DTL Harbor seals may help determine effect on humans of eating toxic fish
