Within our California Marine Sanctuary Foundation team, we talk a lot about how whale populations are still recovering from the industrial whaling era (a staggering 3 million whales were estimated to be killed over the course of the 20th century, resulting in devastating declines in whale populations and an 81% reduction in great whale biomass). Now, they face compounding and often interrelated threats: ship strikes, entanglement, habitat degradation, and climate change.

A brief dive into CMSFconservartion work.

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.