Two graduate students from California have been selected as finalists for this year’s prestigious John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program, sponsored by the National Sea Grant College Program. The finalists will be placed in host offices in the legislative or executive branches of the U.S. government that work on coastal and marine science policy for a one-year paid fellowship. They will receive their assignments in the fall and will begin their fellowship in early 2024.

From Crescent City to San Diego, California is home to a string of vibrant and diverse fishing communities. Well managed fisheries for albacore, black cod, lobster, crab, white sea bass, squid, spot prawn, spiny lobster and more provide nutritious, sustainably produced seafood many Americans value and rely on.

As far back as she can remember, Valerie Termini knew she wanted a future in ocean conservation, but figuring out how to navigate a career caring for the oceans without becoming a scientist herself felt somewhat murky. Leaning towards policy instead, Termini soon found her groove thanks in part to a year-long California Sea Grant State Fellowship.

This week, the Community Alliance for Surveying the Topography of Sandy Beaches (CoAST SB) has launched a new website that shares seven years of data — offering a clearer picture of how Southern California’s beaches have been changing.

CoAST SB is a citizen science program sponsored by California Sea Grant. Once each month, teams of volunteers measure the shapes of key beaches in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, noting the width and slope of the beach.

MiraCosta College students cultivating an interest in seaweeds, bivalves or fish farming will soon be able to get their hands wet learning skills and exploring potential careers in the region’s emerging aquaculture industry thanks to a $320,000 grant from NOAA Sea Grant awarded this month.  

Researchers from California Sea Grant will team up with the college to design and offer students comprehensive training. Starting September 2024, the program is intended to support the growing demand for skilled aquaculture and related jobs in the region.

Kelps are called “the sequoias of the sea”, and for good reason. These large, canopy-forming macroalgae, including both bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) and giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), can grow more than 100 feet tall, forming vast underwater forests that nourish and support marine life from tiny plankton to gray whales. Many of the more than 300 marine species that are commercially fished in California spend time in these lush algal forests.