Dear Friends and Colleagues,

California’s relationship with the ocean is changing. We are increasingly turning to the ocean to provide us with drinking water through the construction of desalination plants and clean energy through plans for large offshore wind farms. But these efforts must be balanced with our everlasting need for healthy oceans and estuaries that support marine ecosystems and coastal communities.

As you will read below, much of the work we do at CMSF ensures that this balance is achieved and both people and the planet remain resilient. 

Toward a sustainable future,

Robert Mazurek

Executive Director

California Marine Sanctuary Foundation

Welcome Aboard, Alena Anousinh!

In August, Alena joined the CMSF Water Quality team as a Water Quality Program Associate. Prior to joining CMSF, Alena was a Life Lab Farm Manager and worked as an organic agriculture research assistant at the University of California Santa Cruz. Alena holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies and Agroecology from UCSC, where she focused on sustainable organic agriculture and food systems. In her free time, you can find Alena on a hiking trail, soaking up the sun at the beach, or tending to her garden. She is happy to be involved in finding solutions that increase the sustainability of agriculture. She seeks to reduce land-based marine debris and promote end-of-life solutions for agricultural plastics.

Did you know CMSF is hiring an Agricultural Water Quality Program Coordinator? The Agricultural Water Quality Program Coordinator for CMSF is responsible for developing and maintaining agricultural water quality programs to support a sustainable agricultural industry and prevent agricultural pollution from negatively influencing Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS). Agriculture is a major industry and utilizes a significant portion of the land and water in watersheds surrounding MBNMS. Additionally, agricultural runoff is recognized as a pollutant source for nutrients, pesticides, and plastics. Agriculture is a potential sink for greenhouse gasses, storing carbon in the soil while building soil health and drought resilience.

The agricultural water quality program revolves around strong working partnerships in the agricultural community with other agricultural support organizations, agricultural professionals, and directly with growers and ranchers to address water quality issues and support the research and education to better manage and reduce these pollutants.

To find out more, visit https://www.californiamsf.org/our-job-openings

Please take the newly released survey on climate change and California’s marine protected areas (MPAs)!

• Share your valuable perspectives by participating in a survey titled: “Understanding Perceptions of Climate Change and Marine Protected Areas.” 
• The purpose of the survey is to build a locally-focused understanding of concerns as they relate to climate changes and MPAs, as well as an understanding of potential solutions to help inform decision-makers into the future, and to inform the MPA Collaborative Network’s ongoing climate initiative. 
• No prior knowledge of climate change, ocean science, or MPAs needed.
• Share within your own network!

Please save the date for our upcoming floating offshore wind summit on October 18th at 10 am PST. 

Join CMSF and expert scientists to discuss the known and unknowns about the impacts of floating offshore wind. A series of 4 brief presentations by researchers and industry experts will be followed by a Q&A session with State, Federal, and Tribal partners, as well as commercial anglers.

To register, visit tinyurl.com/OSWsummit2

Let's connect on social media!

We post a lot of program related updates on our social channels so you can keep up on all things CMSF.