The Otay River Floodplain Site in September 2025. (Photo: Dr. Laurie Koteen, CMSF) Historic losses of wetlands in San Diego Bay. California-wide, coastal wetlands have been lost on an extraordinary scale.  They have been drained, starved of sediment, filled and constructed upon, bisected by transportation corridors, and served as dumping grounds for municipal waste.  In South San Diego Bay, a small segment of these vital ecosystems is undergoing restoration to reclaim this cr

This article was written by CA Sea Grant Science writer Boyce Upholt. Boyce collaborated with CMSF and our partners to prepare this article highlighting the NOAA Sea Grant Funded project that has focused on mechanical collection of agricultural film mulch as a strategy for ag plastic pollution prevention.  Please enjoy this article, featured in the Santa Cruz Sentinel and CA Sea Grant Websites, which captures the collaborative approach that CMSF has embodied.

Future site of the City of Santa Cruz’s Climate Resilient Monterey Bay project - establishing a living shoreline at Main Beach, the most...

Environmental statutes like the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) form the backbone of and justification for key efforts to support conservation. Recent proposals threaten to weaken these protections when marine life needs them most. 

This brand-new, first-of-its-kind online map portal showcases digitized whale conservation zones relevant to maritime shipping activities. It houses information on a zone’s designation and parameters, including which species it protects, the seasonality of the protections, as well as the specifics of the measures.

Whenever I arrive at a new spot, my instinct is to look around for signs. I’m curious to know the local rules, the species I might see, and any unique features of the area. I assumed this was common—that most people also stopped to read signs before heading out. But that assumption got flipped on its head when I started digging into how effective marine protected area (MPA) signage really is.