Over 90% of Southern California coastal wetlands have been destroyed. These ecosystems are critical habitats for many aquatic and terrestrial animals, refuges for endangered species and important nursery grounds for juvenile animals. Wetlands provide an important buffer against the ocean during storms and can improve ocean water quality. The UC Sea Grant Program investigates how coastal wetlands remove bateria from terrestrial runoff before it enters the ocean. This is important since high bacterial populations can be harmful to human health and result in beach closures. Our research indicates how coastal wetlands should be restored to protect or improve ocean water quality.
SEA GRANT
West Coast Regional and Information Planning
The Ocean Protection Council (OPC) is working closely with the California and the University of Southern California Sea Grant programs to improve scientific understanding in high priority issue areas. As a first step, the OPC is supporting the West Coast Sea Grant programs' initiative to develop a Regional Research and Information Plan for the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem.
An important component of this effort is a stakeholder-driven process to prioritze research and information needs for the West Coast. The goal of Sea Grant and the OPC is to involve the broadest possible range of ocean and coastal interests in the process, including coastal residents, scholars and researchers; community organizations; marine conservation groups; state and local governments; resource managers at both the state and federal levels; and any person or group who depends on ocean resources for livelihood or recreation.
Four stakeholder workshops will be held in California throughout the fall of 2007. All are invited and encouraged to attend. If you are not able to attend, please feel free to provide input through the Sea Grant online survey. More information about the workshops and the online survey are located at: http://www-csgc.ucsd.edu/home.html.
Southern California Workshop
Date and Time: COMPLETED (September 18, 2007, 9 am to 3:30 pm)
Location: Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP)
3535 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 96262
RSVP: Juliette Finzi, finzi@usc.edu
Northern California Workshop
Date and Time: October 24, 2007, 9 am to 3 pm
Location: Wharfinger Building, Bay Room
1 Marine Way, Eureka, CA 95501
RSVP: Susan Schlosser, scschlosser@ucdavis.edu
Bay Area Workshop
Date and Time: November 7, 2007, 9 am to 3:30 pm
Location: Elihu Harris State Office Building, Room 1
1515 Clay Street, Oakland, CA 94612
RSVP: Alisha Dahlstrom, adahlstrom@ucdavis.edu
South Central Coast Workshop
Date and Time: November 14, 2007, 9 am to 3:30 pm
Location: Veteran's Memorial Building
112 W. Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara, CA 93101
RSVP: Monique Myers, moniquemyers@ucdavis.edu