August 3, 2026

Ocean Protection Council Meeting – September 18, 2026 – Teleconference and Public Forum

The Ocean Protection Council will hold a hybrid public meeting via teleconference and in a public forum on Friday, September 18, 2026. The agenda and meeting materials will be available on this starting September 8.

Categories: Event, Funding Opportunities and Updates, OPC Meetings, Strategic Goal 1: Climate Change, Strategic Goal 2: Equity, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity, Strategic Goal 4: Sustainable Blue Economy

July 31, 2026

OPC Releases Recommendations on MPA Petitions

In 2023, the California Fish and Game Commission (CFGC) received several petitions that proposed changes to the state’s successful and globally-renowned Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network. Twenty petitions were received in December 2023 and referred to the California Department of […]

Categories: Marine Protected Areas, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity

July 20, 2026

Draft California Artificial Reef Program Plan Available for Review and Comment by September 4, 2026

The DRAFT California Artificial Reef Program Plan July 2026 (CARP Plan) is now available for review and comment. Prepared in partnership between the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Ocean Protection Council (OPC), and California Sea Grant, and informed by California Native American tribes and stakeholders, this draft […]

Categories: Public Comment Opportunity, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity, Sustainable Fisheries and Marine Ecosystems

June 18, 2026

Updates from the June 16, 2026 Council Meeting

At the June 16, 2026, Ocean Protection Council (OPC) meeting, the Council unanimously approved key actions and more than $13.8 million in investments to: advance sea level rise adaptation planning, including addressing impacts to tribal cultural resources, make meaningful progress to conserve 30% of California’s coastal waters by 2030 (30×30) through […]

Categories: 30x30, Aquaculture, Climate Change, Coastal Habitats, Equity and Environmental Justice, Funding Opportunities and Updates, Habitats, Harmful Algal Blooms, Kelp, Leadership and Staff Updates, Marine Habitats, Marine Protected Areas, Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia, Offshore Wind, OPC Meetings, Plastic Pollution, Report Release, Sea Level Rise, Strategic Goal 1: Climate Change, Strategic Goal 2: Equity, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity, Strategic Goal 4: Sustainable Blue Economy, Sustainable Fisheries and Marine Ecosystems, Tribal Engagement, Water Quality

May 29, 2026

Seven Years of Action: California’s Fight Against Ocean Litter – The Ocean Litter Strategy Accomplishments Report is Now Available

In May 2026, the California Ocean Litter Prevention Strategy Accomplishments Report: January 2018–August 2025 was published by the Ocean Protection Council (OPC), in partnership with NOAA’s Marine Debris Program (NOAA MDP), California Sea Grant, and USC Sea Grant.  California has long recognized […]

Categories: Plastic Pollution, Report Release, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity, Water Quality

May 20, 2026

Monthly Newsletter – California Coast and Ocean News – May 2026

The May 2026 OPC newsletter is available!

Categories: 30x30, Aquaculture, Career Opportunities, Climate Change, Coastal Habitats, Equity and Environmental Justice, Event, Funding Opportunities and Updates, Grant Projects, Habitats, Leadership and Staff Updates, Marine Habitats, Marine Protected Areas, Monthly Newsletter, Offshore Wind, OPC Meetings, Other Public Meetings, Outreach and Education, Plastic Pollution, Public Comment Opportunity, Report Release, Sea Level Rise, Strategic Goal 1: Climate Change, Strategic Goal 2: Equity, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity, Strategic Goal 4: Sustainable Blue Economy, Sustainable Fisheries and Marine Ecosystems, Tribal Engagement, Water Quality

May 20, 2026

Slowing Down for Whales: How California Is Making Its Busiest Shipping Lanes Safer 

Every spring, gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) travel north along the California coast, mothers and calves making a 12,000-mile round trip between their winter calving grounds in Baja California and their Arctic feeding grounds. These same waters carry an enormous volume […]

Categories: Habitats, Marine Habitats, Outreach and Education, Strategic Goal 1: Climate Change, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity, Strategic Goal 4: Sustainable Blue Economy, Sustainable Fisheries and Marine Ecosystems

May 20, 2026

California Ocean Day 2026: A Big Day for the Coast 

On April 28, 2026, ocean advocates, scientists, tribal partners, and state leaders converged on Sacramento for the 21st annual California Ocean Day, and the day delivered on every front.  Governor Gavin Newsom issued an official proclamation designating April 28 as California Ocean Day, celebrating the […]

Categories: Equity and Environmental Justice, Event, Outreach and Education, Strategic Goal 1: Climate Change, Strategic Goal 2: Equity, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity, Strategic Goal 4: Sustainable Blue Economy, Tribal Engagement

April 17, 2026

Monthly Newsletter – California Coast and Ocean News – April 2026

The April 2026 OPC newsletter is available!

Categories: 30x30, Aquaculture, Career Opportunities, Climate Change, Coastal Habitats, Equity and Environmental Justice, Event, Funding Opportunities and Updates, Grant Projects, Habitats, Leadership and Staff Updates, Marine Habitats, Marine Protected Areas, Monthly Newsletter, Offshore Wind, OPC Meetings, Other Public Meetings, Outreach and Education, Plastic Pollution, Public Comment Opportunity, Report Release, Sea Level Rise, Strategic Goal 1: Climate Change, Strategic Goal 2: Equity, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity, Strategic Goal 4: Sustainable Blue Economy, Sustainable Fisheries and Marine Ecosystems, Tribal Engagement, Water Quality

April 17, 2026

After Years of Closures, California’s Salmon Season Returns

This spring, California’s commercial ocean salmon fishery is open for the first time in three years. After closures in 2023, 2024, and 2025 driven by drought, warming rivers, and collapsing fish populations, state and federal managers announced that key salmon […]

Categories: Outreach and Education, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity, Sustainable Fisheries and Marine Ecosystems