California

3D Model of Bay Sheds Light on Eelgrass Restoration, Adaptation Strategies

The Takeaway: A NOAA-supported analysis of California’s Morro Bay estuary found links between seagrass collapse and later erosion that will inform bay-area adaptation strategies and could influence global seagrass conservation strategies.

A Future for Native Oysters along the Pacific Coast

The Takeaway: Data and tools from three West Coast research reserves allow officials to choose restoration “sweet spots” for bringing back declining oyster grounds. READ MORE

Native oysters are in decline along the Pacific Coast....

A Road-Flooding Fix Is Coming to California State Park

The Takeaway: Park visitors and bayside neighbors will enjoy a safer, more accessible area because a group organized by NOAA’s Science Collaborative studied and rated various adaptation options.

Birds of the Coast Have a Friend in NOAA

The Takeaway: At a critical time for many species, NOAA collaborates with partners to protect coastal bird habitats and populations.

California Balances Habitat Conservation with Public Beach Access

The Takeaway: The California Coastal Commission acted on the pleas of local residents in a win for both environmental justice and public health.

California Opens Up Public Access in a Big Way

The Takeaway: Adventurers now exploring 1,000-plus miles of land and waterway trails owe much to the three agencies of California’s coastal zone management program.

Course Graduates Protect Western Burrowing Owl

The Takeaway: Most participants in this Elkhorn Slough Research Reserve workshop later use skills to bolster species protection and habitat conditions.

Environmental Educators Tailor Lessons to Diverse Student Needs

The Takeaway: Students of the coast love to learn when educators reach them where they are—whether that’s online, in the field, or through the wisdom of their own culture and stewardship traditions.

Estuary Education Goes Virtual

The Takeaway: NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserve System provides online tours, activity books, and more to teachers and students.

First-Ever National Marsh Assessment Tool

The Takeaway: Research reserves determine methodology for calculating sea level rise impact on the marsh and test it in 16 locations. Methodology standardizes the effort and creates a national approach.

NOAA Aids Largest-Ever West Coast Oyster Data Map

The Takeaway: The findings could spark restoration efforts that are much more strategic and effective, thanks to project leaders and partners that include California’s Elkhorn Slough Research Reserve.

NOAA Cheers Citizen Scientists

The Takeaway: These coastal volunteers walk the talk of science and stewardship by gathering data to help ecosystems remain vibrant and communities grow more resilient.

NOAA Expands Coastal Opportunities for People with Disabilities

The Takeaway: Creating sign language for “estuary” and other coastal terms, and trails that accommodate wheelchairs and the needs of the visually impaired—these are just two of the contributions from research reserves and coastal zone management programs.

NOAA Funding Improves Visitor Access and Safety at Research Reserve

The Takeaway: On the way is a new stormwater filtering system and upgraded parking, walkway, and school bus areas.

NOAA Strengthens Resilience Before, During, and After Disasters

The Takeaway: NOAA initiatives and state partnership programs are making a difference throughout the nation’s coastal zone.

NOAA’s “Green” Expertise Meets New Infrastructure Era

The Takeaway: Some U.S. infrastructure funding that is headed NOAA’s way will maximize the benefits of nature to lessen climate change damage.

Native Americans Play Critical Roles in Many NOAA Projects

The Takeaway: We take a look at the great things that can happen when NOAA and Indigenous communities work together on coastal issues.

Programs Improve Public Access for All

The Takeaway: NOAA safeguards coastal public access and inclusive adventures through the efforts of the National Coastal Zone Management Program and National Estuarine Research Reserve System.

Project Rescues Wetlands from Sea Level Rise

The Takeaway: The restoration also expands otter habitat and safeguards a super-efficient “blue carbon” source, with help from the Elkhorn Slough Research Reserve.

Relocation of Highway 1 in San Luis Obispo County

The Takeaway: California’s coastal zone management program was part of the team that negotiated this sensitive effort. End results included a road moved inland and new park and visitor facilities.

Research Reserve Restoration Funds Strengthen Tribal Partnership

The Takeaway: California’s Elkhorn Slough Research Reserve was awarded $1.3 million to safeguard habitat and bolster stewardship efforts in a partnership with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band.

San Diego County Benefits from Adaptation Strategy

The Takeaway: Fourteen adaptation planning initiatives are taking place in nine cities with the help of a NOAA grant and a local research reserve.

San Francisco Bay Reserve Partners with Smithsonian Institution on Estuary Research

The Takeaway: A global study uses research reserve monitoring data to uncover potential climate change impacts to the marine environment.

Study Teases Out What Makes a Tidal Marsh “Happy” or “Unhappy”

The Takeaway: Research reserve scientists and others explain marsh persistence with a twist on novelist Leo Tolstoy’s famous “happy families” opening line.

Study of 15 Research Reserves Finds Crabs Pose No Large-Scale Salt Marsh Threat

The Takeaway: While specific crab species can cause local damage, rising seas appear to be a bigger threat to salt marshes nationwide.

Targeted Outreach Tackles Invasive Eucalyptus Threat

The Takeaway: The Elkhorn Slough Research Reserve’s approved plan to remove some invasive eucalyptus and replant with native species will leave a healthier, more diverse ecosystem.

U.S.-Mexico Partners Cut Borderlands Plastic and Marine Debris

The Takeaway: The Tijuana River Research Reserve provides technical assistance and training for the effort.

Wade into Estuary Recreation at a NOAA Research Reserve

The Takeaway: Paddling azure waterways. Casting a line for that delectable campsite dinner. Spying an elusive warbler in a birder’s paradise. These adventures and many more await.