Port Orford, Oregon
Port Orford is located on the south coast of Oregon and is known for its beautiful coastline and fabulous diving opportunities. This area is rugged and remote, with Redfish Rocks Marine Protected Area to explore as well as the famous Port Orford reef which is about 7 miles off shore. It is at the northern end of Oregon's "banana belt", a region with relatively warm weather caused by the Brookings effect. The Brookings effect is is a katabatic wind that affects the southern coast of Oregon. Adiabatic heating increases the temperature and reduces relative humidity as winds, driven by high pressure on the Great Basin, descend across the west slopes of the Cascade Range and Oregon Coast Range. It can occur at any time of the year producing temperatures near the Chetco River mouth which are up to 40 °F (22 °C) higher than without the air movement.
I was open water certified in 2006 in Nellie’s Cove. Sadly, I dove here in October 2020 and the explosion of purple urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) have eaten almost all of the bull kelp in this area, turning what was a beautiful kelp forest in Nellie’s Cove into an underwater desert. The urchin are now moving north from California at an alarming rate, eating all the kelp in their wake. The solution to this problem will take citizen science, applied marine science, and adequate funding to address a complicated issue that will cause ecosystem collapse if not addressed soon.
