Letter from the Executive Director | |
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
As we transition into the final months of the year, I am filled with immense pride in the progress we’ve made across several critical initiatives. From innovative partnerships to community engagement, our collective work continues to advance marine conservation and climate resilience in exciting ways.
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First, I am excited to celebrate the kickoff of our latest NOAA-funded project aimed at building climate resilience in the Monterey Bay area. With a $71 million federal investment, we’re embarking on an ambitious five-year journey alongside 21 partners to reduce the risks of flooding and wildfires, while strengthening regional collaboration and workforce development. This project represents a groundbreaking step forward in our mission to protect coastal communities and ecosystems.
Additionally, I’m excited to welcome Business & Pleasure Co. as the newest Ambassador for the Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program. It’s inspiring to see companies whose passion for the ocean and beach culture shape their corporate values and drive their willingness to join our efforts to reduce ship strikes on whales, noise pollution, and GHG emissions.
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We also highlight mid-seasons updates from the vessel speed reduction initiative, as well as an international workshop organized by CMSF’s own Jess Morten. With participation from experts across North America, the workshop focused on protecting whales in a rapidly changing climate, a testament to the importance of transboundary collaboration in safeguarding these important animals.
Lastly, I want to extend a warm welcome to the newest members of our CMSF team. Their expertise and passion bring renewed energy to our ongoing efforts, and we are excited to see how their contributions will shape our future.
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Robert Mazurek
Executive Director
California Marine Sanctuary Foundation
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NOAA Climate Resilience Grant Kickoff Celebration | |
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In July 2024, CMSF was awarded more than $71 million through a nationwide grant competition managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to lead a coalition of 21 partners to implement an extensive program to combat climate change impacts in the Monterey Bay Area.
Through this collaboration, CMSF will increase climate resilience through:
- flood risk reduction
- wildfire risk reduction
- workforce development, and
- regional collaboration and capacity building
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Earlier this month, CMSF kicked off of the grant with project partners and regional leaders during a celebration luncheon at Moss Landing Marine Labs. Speakers included CMSF Executive Director Robert Mazurek, United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley, City of Santa Cruz Sustainability and Climate Action Manager Tiffany Wise-West, NOAA Office for Coastal Management West Coast Regional Director Becky Smyth, and CMSF Science Advisor John Hunt.
CMSF Executive Director Robert Mazurek noted that the grant is a “groundbreaking step forward for climate adaptation and resilience”, and over the next five years, it will :
- Launch five wildfire risk reduction projects that will reduce fuel loads over 7,000 acres, protecting communities and wild-lands across our region.
- Implement 10 critical flood risk projects that will restore and enhance wetlands and flood plains, creating natural buffers to protect against flooding.
- Create the Monterey Bay Climate Action Adaptation Network (MBCAAN) comprising all 21 partners, the coastal communities, and tribes to plan, collaborate, and share integrated adaptation strategies.
- Initiate the Monterey Bay Climate Adaptation Revolving Fund, which will secure critical funding for adaptation and rapid responses.
Check out www.californiamsf.org/climateresilience for more information and follow along for updates!
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Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies Updates | |
2024 Vessel Speed Reduction Mid-Season Update
As we move beyond the midpoint of the 2024 Vessel Speed Reduction (VSR) season, recent observations underscore both optimism and challenges in our efforts to protect endangered whales. This summer, impressive numbers of blue whales were observed in VSR zones, including pods of up to 30 individuals in the Santa Barbara Channel. This positive news is juxtaposed with a recent tragedy: an endangered fin whale washed up at Ten Mile Beach along the Mendocino coast, confirmed to have been killed by a ship strike.
New and returning participants in the BWBS program continue to reduce the risk of ship strikes by maintaining vessel speeds of 10 knots or less in VSR zones. These efforts not only help protect whales but also reduce underwater noise, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions.
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Humpback whale making a sounding dive near the shipping lanes in the Channel Islands
National Marine Sanctuary. Photo by Dustin Harris
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To date, performance of enrolled participants halfway through the 2024 season includes:
- 37 shipping lines enrolled; the largest number in the program’s history.
- 14 of the 37 shipping lines are currently achieving the Sapphire award level (85-100% fleet total distance in VSR zones traveled at 10 knots or less).
- 11 of the 37 shipping lines are achieving the Gold award level.
- Vessels of the enrolled companies have traveled over 220,000 nautical miles in the zones, with 82% of that distance traveled at 10 knots or less.
Learn More:
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New Ambassador
Business & Pleasure Co., “B&PCo”, an outdoor furniture and accessories brand renowned for its high quality and vintage aesthetics, has joined The Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies program as its newest Ambassador. On what compelled them to join, Lachlan Leckie, Co-founder, Business & Pleasure Co. says, “As a business born out of love for the ocean, we are excited to be able to partner with Blue Whales and Blue Skies.
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“My business partner and I were both raised in beach going families, surfing and sailing on the beautiful east coast of Australia,” Leckie says. "From there, our business has expanded to the other side of the Pacific and we now enjoy the equally impressive coastline and array of marine diversity found in Southern California.”
Ambassadors are consumer goods, brands, ports, and logistics companies that work with at least one of the program’s enrolled shipping carriers, and help drive increased awareness and engagement around the shipping industry’s efforts with the program to reduce fatal ship strike risk as well as marine noise and
air pollution.
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International Workshop: Protecting Whales in a Changing Climate
In September, Jess Morten - CMSF’s Marine Resource Protection Program Director - with the Greater Farallones Association and Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries, organized an international workshop on protecting whales in a changing climate. The workshop brought together protected area managers and representatives from Costa Rica, Mexico, US, Canada and Haida Nation. Workshop participants highlighted transboundary whale conservation efforts, like the Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program, and discussed opportunities for creating a coordinated strategy to protect whales across the Eastern Northern Pacific.
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Representatives from Costa Rica, Mexico, US, Canada and Haida Nation participated at an international workshop on whales in a changing climate. CMSF’s Jess Morten and Sean Hastings, Founder of Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program, were in attendance. Photo Credit: NOAA Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries | | |
Understanding California Angler Needs | | |
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Are you a saltwater angler, or do you know one? Please take our survey!
We are conducting a study to better understand angler preferences and needs when it comes to resources for California’s marine protected areas (MPAs).
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Danielle Alvarez
Marine Resource Protection Program Associate
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A Southern California native, Danielle received a B.S. in Environmental Science from UCLA, and a GIS certificate from UC San Diego. In her early career, she spent several years working in fisheries conservation across the Santa Monica Mountains focused on steelhead trout conservation and assessing riparian habitat quality. She left California for the US Virgin Islands to work with the National Park Service's sea turtle conservation program in St. Croix, then transitioned to a GIS Analyst role as a contractor for NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center. During this time, she also obtained her Master of Professional Science in Fisheries Management and Conservation from the University of Miami. Her master's thesis focused on identifying spatial and temporal hotspots of loggerhead bycatch in the western Atlantic commercial longline fishery. | |
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Most recently, Danielle spent several years in eastern North Carolina working as a Lab Manager/GIS Analyst with Dr. Andy Read's lab, which focuses on behavioral and spatial ecology of cetaceans. She utilizes GIS and remote sensing to investigate habitat use and spatial dynamics of marine species, with a special interest in megafauna like sea turtles and cetaceans, and is excited to put those skills to use with CMSF. | |
Dr. Jesse Traller Ojeda
Climate Resilient Monterey Bay Grant Manager
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Dr. Jesse Traller Ojeda is a seasoned biologist and project manager with a PhD in Marine Biology from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.
Dr. Traller Ojeda has extensive experience in applied research toward climate change mitigation. She served as a Senior Scientist at Global Algae Innovations, where she managed a portfolio of over $30 million in government R&D awards and led initiatives directed toward algae-based sustainable food and energy. In addition to her former work, she is actively involved in STEM education and workforce development through her service as a Board Director and curriculum developer for the 501c3 Algae Foundation.
Dr. Traller Ojeda is dedicated to the implementation of sustainable technologies and climate adaptation strategies while fostering public engagement and education. In addition to her doctorate, Dr. Traller Ojeda also has an MS in Oceanography and a BS in Molecular Biology.
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Emma Franc
Monterey Bay Climate Action Adaptation Network (MBCAAN) Coordinator
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Emily Franc comes to California Marine Sanctuary Foundation with extensive experience and background in environmental research, policy, fundraising, and advocacy having worked for a California member of the House Energy and Environment Committee, as well as for various international agencies and non-profits including the United Nations Environment Program Caribbean Environment Programme (UNEP-CEP), The Ocean Foundation (TOF), Qatar Foundation International (QFI), and within the Waterkeeper movement as the Anacostia Riverkeeper, and most recently with Potomac Riverkeeper Network.
She has broad executive level experience in non-profit management and coalition building, strategic development and effectiveness analytics, communications, philanthropic fundraising, and a proven track record in taking organizational capacity to scale during periods of rapid growth.
Her subject matter expertise focuses on environmental and watershed management to develop economically viable and sustainable strategies specifically related to critical ocean and coastal issues, land-based solutions to marine pollution, coastal watershed management, offshore energy, and climate change adaptation.
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Sharon Stevens
Senior Accounting Specialist
| Sharon Stevens joined CMSF in 2024 working on the NOAA Climate Resilience Regional Challenge Grant Project. Now serving as the Senior Accounting Specialist with the Foundation, Sharon is responsible for assisting with organization budget development and financial management, reporting outcomes and invoicing, and implementing processes. Sharon received her Master’s in Business Administration from Duquesne University and her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from The Pennsylvania State University. | |
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Ella Merkle
Communications Associate
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Ella is a marine conservationist and science communicator who is passionate about effective and equitable marine protection. Ella strives to bridge the gap between science, policy, and communities and is committed to making marine science more available and accessible for all. Ella received her Master's degree in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 2024 where she investigated the impact of marine spatial planning on small island communities through the lens of well-being. As a master's student, Ella also studied Antarctic leopard seal behavior and founded and led the Surfrider Foundation at Scripps.
Ella received her Bachelor's in Marine Affairs and Ecosystem Science and Policy from the University of Miami.
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