Port’s Environmental Campaign Pays Off

The Port of Long Beach is reducing its environmental impact.

LOS ANGELES—The environmental efforts at the Port of Long Beach are paying off. According to a report on the water and habitat quality of the Long Beach and Los Angeles harbors, plant, wildlife and marine life ecosystems are flourishing as a result of the port’s efforts to reduce the environmental impacts related to the movement of goods. The number of species of plants and animals living on rocks and pilings in the harbors has increased 60% since a 2008 and has nearly doubled since 2000. Water conditions have also greatly improved, leading to increased levels of fish and the expansion of kelp beds, which now cover more than 132 acres of outer harbor waters. In 2008, kelp covered 80 acres and in 2000, kelp covered only 27 acres. To find out more about the improvements and the efforts to continue to reduce environment impacts, we sat down with Lee Peterson of the port for a brief interview.

GlobeSt.com: The Port has been working for a long time to improve its environmental impacts. How does it feel to show those efforts have been realized?