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This project is evaluating the potential for commercial cultivation of native Pacific littleneck clams in the Morro Bay Estuary in an effort to help expand shellfish production beyond the non-native Manila littleneck clam. Viability of the species is being determined by directly comparing the native Pacific littleneck with the non-native Manila littleneck clam in both field and laboratory trials.

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This project examines secondary harvests of seaweeds grown in existing shellfish aquaculture sites. Researchers are conducting field studies across Morro, Tomales and Humboldt Bays in an effort to increase the resilience of California shellfish growers by diversifying their products while also meeting a growing demand for seaweeds.

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This project focuses on the Salmon River, which hosts the largest remaining non-hatchery population of spring-run Chinook in the Klamath Basin, making it a high priority for efforts to conserve Klamath Chinook biodiversity. The  goal of the project is to improve understanding of how spring-run Chinook interact with other Chinook genotypes and use freshwater habitat, thereby enhancing our ability to conserve spring-run Chinook populations.

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This project will analyze scale morphometrics and otolith microchemistry to determine which juvenile Chinook life history strategies (lagoon or ocean rearing) are represented in the return adult spawning population on the Mattole River.

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This project focuses on expanding expertise in dune restoration and implementation approaches to enhance coastal resilience, restore and preserve sandy habitats against sea level rise and other potential changes.

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This project's researchers have developed a new model that will help develop strategies for effectively restoring kelp forests. The goal is to consider the ecological, socio-economic, and environmental uncertainties of this process, yielding strategies that promote the restoration of the kelp forest and revitalize local coastal economies.

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This study focused on the coastal impacts of sunlight breaking down plastic litter. Specifically, the project sought to analyze what compounds leach from plastics into the surrounding seawater and determine the impacts on the microbial community. The team successfully fabricated a light box that simulates solar UV radiation and used the light box to treat several samples of plastic with radiation. The resulting leachates were collected and used for respiration testing. The project ended upon the graduation of the primary investigator.

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This project combines methods of Indigenous Ecological Knowledge and Western-based science to understand how two non-native seaweeds may be impacting the native ecosystem. The team will engage in community conversations regarding food sovereignty and subsistence and its use in ecological management.

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There is an urgent need to understand how managed and protected marine species will shift their distributions in response to global changes. This project will focus on how habitat hotspots of highly migratory marine predators and their prey interact with human uses of the ocean, which will be critical to supporting a viable blue economy in California. 

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