Healthy Coastal and Marine Ecosystems

Assessing the combined effects of ocean acidification and warming on disease susceptibility and restoration success of the critically endangered white abalone
The white abalone is an iconic California species, which once supported a lucrative commercial fishery.

Understanding ocean warming impacts on shrinking body sizes of California fishes: Linking pattern & mechanism to support future sustainable fisheries
Reductions in body size of marine fishes linked to ocean warming have been reported across numerous ecosystem types and species.

Geography of stress: Impacts of ocean acidification along the California Coast
Increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations are fundamentally changing the chemistry of the ocean.

Present and future climatic drivers of domoic acid toxicity in coastal ecosystems of California
Domoic acid, a neurotoxin produced by certain species of the diatom, Pseudo‐nitzschia, poses a significant health threat to marine mammals, seabirds, and humans via transfer of the toxin t

Benefits beyond biomass: Biophysical feedbacks within Marine Protected Areas may promote ecosystem resilience in the face of global climate change
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a critical tool for conservation and management of economically, socially, and ecologically valuable species in California.

An ecophysiological framework to assess hypoxia driven habitat loss in the California Current ecosystem
The California Current Ecosystem (CCE), extending from British Columbia to Baja California, Mexico, is one of the most productive ocean ecosystems in the world.

A multi-faceted approach to enhance sustainability of the California spiny lobster fishery
The California spiny lobster is an important species in California both economically and ecologically.

Struggling Olympia oysters get a boost from scientists in Monterey Bay
Once common up and down the West Coast, Olympia oysters now need help to survive.

From eelgrass to mudflat: New research dives into Morro Bay mystery
From 2007 to 2017, Morro Bay’s eelgrass beds nearly disappeared. A new study helps explain why levels remain low.

Predator-prey dynamics in a changing ocean: Does life history influence the susceptibility of juvenile fishes to ocean acidification and hypoxia in nursery habitats?
Increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is contributing to ocean acidification and hypoxia in the ocean.