Today, the National Research Council issued its long-awaited report on the Drakes Bay Oyster Company – is their operation harming the environment or not?

For those following the controversy (background: Oysters on the Outs, Sep 28, 2007) – and few Marin County land use issues have ignited local passions the way this one has – the report may seem to settle some scores.

Speaking to KQED Public Radio, the study’s lead scientist, Charles Peterson, said "We evaluated all the science in Drakes Estero… and from that concluded that there is no major impact of the Drakes Estero mariculture on the ecosystem of Drakes Estero."

This is contrary to initial findings from the National Park Service, which had sought to shut down the longstanding oyster operation. According to the Park Service, oysters, a non-native species, coat the bay floor in feces and harm other, native wildlife such as eelgrass and harbor seals. After protests from the oyster company and many of its neighbors, the Park Service and Senator Diane Feinstein tapped the National Research Council to take an independent look.

Now, it's up to the Park Service to decide how to react to the NRC's study.

You may listen to the original "Oysters on the Outs" radio report online, as well as find additional links and resources. Also see additional photos for that radio report.

Is there a link between childhood vaccines and
autism? Recent news says no. Credit: James Gathany

February was a big month in the debate about the possible role of vaccines in causing autism, a subject we covered in last year's TV story, Autism: Searching for Causes, and several blog posts. The claim-–that there might be a link between the immunizations children receive and the onset of autism–-has recently taken some hard hits.

First, on February 1, two Philadelphia researchers published a scientific literature review that summarized a number of studies from around the world, all of which refuted the claim that there was a vaccine-autism link.

Then on February 8, the news came out that the doctor whose 1998 research had sparked the initial autism-vaccine scare had manipulated his data. Finally, on February 12, a special federal court ruled against three families who argued that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine had caused autism in their children, saying that the evidence was "overwhelmingly contrary" to the claims.

No doubt there will be more debate about this issue in the future, as families and researchers continue the search for the cause.

One of the questions that was asked before beginning work on the new California Academy of Sciences was what should a natural history museum in the 21st century look like? The architect Renzo Piano felt that it was stripping away halls and letting light and transparency foster community and growth. The exhibit designers believed it was breaking down the linear stories and creating a space for people to formulate their own story through vignettes of content. Ryan Wyatt, director of the Planetarium and Science Visualization believed that the museum should not just be within the walls but rather mesh and evolve through multi-media.

Science in Action is metamorphosis of creating a "un-museum" through multi-media as well as a tie with the Academy's past. Our in-house news program filmed at the Academy was branded the same name. Today, Science in Action exists on the floor as a breaking news exhibit. The exhibit contains four screens that scroll through four breaking stories about science. One story is changed out every week, thus all stories revolve out within a month's time. Science in Action will not end there. The production team is working on the next phase of uploading content on the Internet along with surveys and special clips to facilitate interaction. Once a month, evening programming beginning in mid winter will use content in Science in Action for programming. The experts will be here in person to go more in depth. The stories are not just for the screen but spread out through the museum as well as through community partners and experts.

I was asked recently to join the content team for Science in Action to get a real feel for the production side in order to better deliver programs for the evening events. The production team consists of staff from research, the aquarium, production, public programs and education. We meet once a week to brainstorm and once a story is chosen the production team works in collaboration with the content team to make an idea into a news story with a week turn-around. Last week, we did a piece on the Cosco-Busan oil spill for its year anniversary. I was able to help edit the script through the mock up, rough-cut, interviews, and final visual edit. A colleague and I drafted a summary and survey of the piece to be used in connection. It was a great team effort. This team effort will take place every week to turn out more than 60 stories per year. It is also an evolving process with equal input from the content and production team and will generate not only content for the floor, but for the web, partners, iTunes, and public programs.

It is projects like this that make me love where I work, as I am challenged to be informed and enmeshed in all the amazing discoveries in technology and science. Natural museums in this day and age must be cognizant that information is available everywhere. Museums that strive to be current have to embrace the information age and be comfortable updating content on a more regular basis as well as interacting with their virtual audience. Exhibits and multi-media were designed for the Academy with this in mind and will change accordingly. Like research expanding with new discoveries, our public floor will change in pace with science.