Monthly Newsletter – California Coast and Ocean News – March / April 2025
What’s Happening
March 3, 2025 California Ocean Protection Council Meeting Summary
The March Council meeting advanced initiatives across OPC’s Strategic Plan goals, including adopting a resolution on ocean acidification and hypoxia, funding for sea level rise adaptation planning, enhancing management of marine protected areas (MPAs), and supporting climate-ready fisheries management. These efforts aim to provide tangible benefits for all Californians by enhancing environmental and economic health and resilience against climate change across diverse communities and habitats statewide. Read the summary.
Council Adopts Resolution on Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia
The Ocean Protection Council adopted a Resolution on Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia at its March 3, 2025 Council meeting to elevate and communicate the state’s commitment to addressing ocean acidification and hypoxia (OAH). Learn more about the Resolution.
Introducing SeaSketch California – a Mapping Tool for California’s MPA Network
OPC is excited to announce the launch of SeaSketch California, a cutting-edge, open-source mapping platform designed specifically to provide spatial data and analysis tools to evaluate the 2023 public petitions proposing changes to California’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Explore SeaSketch California.
Elections and Call for Nominations for Dungeness Crab Task Force Representatives
The Dungeness Crab Task Force (DCTF) Commercial Fishing Elections 2025 and Call for Nominations for Non-Commercial Fishing Representatives are open until Friday, April 11, 2025. Learn more and apply online.
Earth Day 2025
Celebrate Earth Day on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., at the Natural Resources headquarters! Discover the great work underway to conserve, protect, and restore California’s natural and cultural resources! Fun for all ages with indoor and outdoor interactive experiences, giveaways, and more! Look for OPC’s booth inside and say hi at this free, public event!
Funding Opportunity
SB 1 Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Grant Program
The next submission deadline for sea level rise adaptation planning projects is Thursday, July 3, 2025. Learn more about the SB 1 Grant Program.
Dive In
Benefits of Marine Protection for California’s People and Communities
California is home to one of the largest networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the world, serving as a global model for marine conservation. Covering over 16% of California’s coastal waters, this extensive Network of 124 MPAs provides much-needed ecological benefits for a wide array of important species and habitats, including rocky intertidal areas, estuaries, kelp forests, and deep underwater canyons. Healthy marine ecosystems lead to direct economic, cultural, and well-being benefits for coastal communities… Continue reading.
Data Bite
When seawater absorbs carbon dioxide (CO₂), chemical reactions lower its pH, a process known as ocean acidification (OA). Increased OA makes it harder for shell-building organisms, like small crabs, krill, oysters, and mussels, to maintain their protective structures, leading to shell dissolution—where shells weaken, thin, or even begin to dissolve. This process threatens California’s marine ecosystems, seafood industry, and coastal economy, impacting jobs, local fisheries, and the food supply.
Long-term changes in OA are measured by aragonite saturation state, which is foundational for marine organisms to build their shells and skeletons. These long-term changes are largely driven by global carbon emissions from fossil fuels. Southern California has the most comprehensive data on state and coastal waters, showing declining aragonite saturation and more corrosive waters over time. While surface waters remain above critical thresholds, deeper waters at 100 meters are reaching, or have already dropped below, levels where shells begin to break down, putting species at risk.
A Resolution on Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia was adopted by the Ocean Protection Council at its March 3, 2025 Council meeting to elevate and communicate the state’s commitment to addressing ocean acidification and hypoxia. OPC is taking action in the state, across the West Coast region, and internationally, guided by Strategic Plan Goal 1: Safeguard Coastal and Marine Ecosystems and Communities in the Face of Climate Change – visit our Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia webpage to learn more. For more details about the OA data presented above, see the 2023 California State of the Coast and Ocean Report.
Project Highlight
Redwood National and State Parks Visitor Center and Lower Prairie Creek Restoration
In 2021, the Ocean Protection Council (OPC) invested $1,000,000 in the Redwood National and State Parks Visitor Center and Lower Prairie Creek Restoration Project, part of the larger, multi-phase Redwood National and State Park Visitor Center and Restoration Project. This funding, from Proposition 1, supports habitat restoration efforts in the lower Prairie Creek subwatershed to improve water quality and benefit endangered species like Coho and Chinook salmon. Located within Yurok Tribe ancestral territory in Humboldt County, known as ‘O Rew, this project also aims to provide economic and cultural opportunities for local and tribal communities. By restoring the site, removing toxic remnants of former sawmill and dairy operations, and planting native vegetation, this restoration effort will help revitalize critical fish habitat and improve the watershed.
A major milestone in this effort was reached on March 19, 2024, with the signing of a landmark agreement between the Yurok Tribe, Save the Redwoods League, National Park Service, and California State Parks. This memorandum of understanding marks the beginning of a historic collaboration to co-manage the ‘O Rew property—125 acres of ecologically and culturally significant land. This site, which will become a gateway to Redwood National and State Parks, will highlight the living culture of the Yurok Tribe and offer recreational opportunities like new trails, interpretive exhibits, and a visitor center. The Yurok Tribe’s co-stewardship role underscores a shift toward recognizing Indigenous land management practices, the benefits of tribal co-stewardship, and their critical role in conservation. This co-stewardship model, involving the Tribe alongside state and federal agencies, aims to preserve and share the wonders of this forest while fostering a deeper connection between the public and the Tribe’s rich cultural heritage.
Watch the Prairie Creek Restoration Project playlist (six videos) on YouTube.
Staff Spotlight
Maria B. Rodriguez, Climate and Environmental Justice Program Manager
Maria joined OPC in August 2020. Maria brings a background in environmental compliance, geospatial analysis, and conservation-focused planning. She has a deep-rooted appreciation for the land-sea connection, shaped by her upbringing in the diverse landscapes of the Los Angeles region, and is particularly attuned to the interplay between urban environments and natural systems. Previously serving as OPC’s Wetlands Program Manager, Maria transitioned in 2022 to her current role as Climate and Environmental Justice Program Manager. In this capacity, she leads OPC’s strategic priorities at the intersection of climate resilience, environmental justice, and equity. Her work focuses on policy development and analysis aimed at reducing climate impacts while ensuring that California’s coastal and ocean policies are informed by community needs and deliver meaningful benefits to those most affected. Maria holds a B.S. in Urban and Regional Planning and actively engages in professional networks dedicated to environmental policy and social justice. Outside of work, she enjoys birdwatching, hiking, cycling, and cheering on the L.A. Dodgers, all while cherishing her two beloved cats.
“As OPC’s Climate and Environmental Justice Program Manager, I’m particularly excited about our work with the Environmental Justice Advisory Board for California’s Coast and Ocean, launched in 2024 in partnership with the Better World Group. This initiative creates pathways for direct engagement with regional community leaders to advise on the needs and perspectives of environmental justice communities, California Native American tribes, and tribal communities regarding state policies, programs, and actions that impact the coast and ocean. In January, Board members and OPC staff convened in San Diego for an Equitable Grantmaking and Partnerships Roundtable, where local partners shared strategies to improve public access to state funding and strengthen inclusive engagement in ocean conservation. These discussions reinforced the need to make state resources more accessible and responsive to community needs. This work is meaningful because it fosters collaboration with community leaders, integrates environmental justice into climate resilience efforts, and advances equity-centered investments statewide through the Board’s guidance.”
Photo of the Month
Have a stunning shot of California’s coast or ocean? Submit a photo to be featured as the Photo of the Month! Whether it’s a serene shoreline, vibrant marine life, or a captivating coastal sunset, share the beauty of our state’s coastline through your lens! Submit your photo.
This Month’s Photo of the Month: Brooke Eckenroth / Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in Big Sur
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