When Christopher Tubbs joined an ambitious multinational effort to save California condors from the brink of extinction, he knew the odds of success were long. California condors, a critically endangered species, are at the top of the food chain in the coastal ecosystem. If the California condor is accumulating such high amounts of DDT, that means that every link of the coastal food chain — including people — is also exposed. By 1982, there were only 22 California condors left on the planet. After decades of painstaking work, there are now 537 California condors, supported by a network of breeding centers and reintroduction sites from Baja California to Northern California.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 18, 2022 03:02 UTC