Tying together California’s marine laws
This is the sixth in a yearlong series of stories showcasing the research that the Ocean Protection Council supported in partnership with California Sea Grant, with funding from Proposition 84.
Hearing from Californians on the front lines of climate change
Hearing from Californians on the front lines of climate change
Every few years, newscasters in California will pull up an image from King Salmon, a low-lying coastal community in the northern part of the state: Amid a flood, a woman sits on a beach float, holding a cocktail. “She’s having a good time, enjoying the temporary river in the middle of the street,” says Kristina Kunkel, a former California Sea Grant state fellow, who recently co-published a paper investigating how residents of King Salmon are responding to rising seas.
California Estuary MPA Monitoring Program
PROJECT HIGHLIGHT:
The Estuary Marine Protected Area (MPA) Monitoring Program is a statewide effort to assess the health and ecological functions of California's estuarine MPAs and reference estuaries through comprehensive monitoring, data analysis and reporting, providing critical information to guide effective management of these vital coastal ecosystems.
PROJECT SUMMARY:
Monitoring and Evaluation of Kelp Forest Ecosystems in the MLPA Marine Protected Area Network
PROJECT HIGHLIGHT:
This project conducted long-term monitoring of kelp forest ecosystems across California's coastal waters and offshore islands, including surveys of fish, invertebrates, algae and habitat characteristics. The data informed the adaptive management of California's network of marine protected areas to conserve these vital ocean habitats.
PROJECT SUMMARY:
Balancing conservation and human and conservation needs in the San Francisco Estuary
Balancing conservation and human and conservation needs in the San Francisco Estuary
The San Francisco Estuary stretches from the ridges of the Sierra Nevada mountains to the Golden Gate strait, where it meets the Pacific Ocean, an area bigger than the state of Georgia. At almost 60,000 square miles, it is one of the largest estuaries on the American continent. About eight million people live on or near the estuary’s shorelines. Hundreds of industries and thousands of wildlife species depend on the estuary, whose wetlands extend into several bays where freshwater and seawater mingle.
A Near-Peer Mentoring Cascade to Promote Inclusive Research Training at the Coastal and Marine Institute Laboratory
PROJECT HIGHLIGHT
A summer research program at San Diego State University, matching undergraduate students with graduate mentors, was expanded to provide increased access to groups currently underrepresented in the field of ecological and evolutionary biology. A one-day-a-week format helped accommodate students whose financial and family obligations might otherwise prevent participation in a summer program.