OPC is accepting public comment on the Draft 2020 – 2025 Strategic Plan to Protect California’s Coast and Ocean. Comments can be submitted by email to COPCpublic@resources.ca.gov and must be received by 5pm on December 13, 2019.
The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) is hiring a Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) to lead its Marine Protected Area (MPA) Program. OPC is a Cabinet-level state policy body that works to ensure healthy coastal and ocean ecosystems by advancing innovative, science-based policy and management, making strategic investments, and catalyzing action through partnerships and collaboration.
The Senior Environmental Scientist will serve as the team lead for OPC’s MPA program and will be responsible for: coordinating the efforts of OPC’s MPA program manager and Sea Grant Fellow; leading implementation of the state’s MPA Management Program in collaboration with OPC’s other MPA program staff and external partners, which includes investments and actions related to outreach and education, research and monitoring, compliance and enforcement, and policy and permitting; grant and contract management including developing work scopes, tracking deliverables, processing invoices, and grantee coordination; and additional organizational support and capacity, as needed.
Applicants should have a minimum of four years of relevant post-graduate work experience, a strong scientific background, working knowledge of coastal and ocean issues and stakeholders in California, experience working on projects and/or research related to MPAs in California or elsewhere, and excellent written and verbal communication skills. The ability to work in a fast-paced environment and prioritize tasks is a must. A PhD, ecological modeling experience, and two years of field work are preferred but not required. The position is located in Sacramento, California.
The application deadline is November 22, 2019. For more details and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Jobs/JobPosting.aspx?JobControlId=179933
The Ocean Protection Council held a public meeting on November 13th starting at 1 PM in Sacramento.
The agenda can be viewed here.
The staff at OPC are devastated at the loss of our friend and colleague Adrian Dahood-Fritz, and her husband Andrew Fritz, who were both victims of the catastrophic Conception dive boat accident that occurred on September 2, 2019.
Adrian was the Senior Scientist and Policy Advisor in our marine protected areas program and had been working with us since April 2019. In addition to bringing a wealth of scientific and technical expertise to our team, she brought a level of passion, determination, and dedication that will be impossible to replace. Adrian had a fantastic sense of humor and charmed us with unbelievable stories, including those about her adventures in the Antarctic and her love of cats, krill, penguins, and pancake ice.
Adrian wasn’t afraid to push back on consensus opinions and was skillful at articulating her point of view. She was a brilliant scientist and was always thoughtful, critical and measured in her approach. She had a unique ability to dig into the details of a scientific issue while always keeping the broader goal of marine conservation in focus. Prior to working at OPC, she worked for the National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Antarctic Ecosystem Research Division conducting research, influencing policy, and helping establish and manage protected areas in Antarctica.
In May, Andrew volunteered his time and skills to video an OPC-hosted workshop on marine protected areas. It was an altruistic gesture that demonstrated the love and support he shared with Adrian. We are grateful to have had the honor to meet him and deeply appreciate his generous contribution to our work.
We recognize that this accident has had a significant impact on our entire ocean community and that many of our colleagues and partners have also suffered incredible, unfathomable loss. We stand with you in this time of grief as we hold the spirit of our friends and loved ones close to our hearts.
In Adrian’s memory, the Adrian Dahood-Fritz Memorial Fund has been established with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS). All donations will support travel for early career researchers to attend international conferences. For more information on APECS and how to donate to the Memorial Fund, please visit: https://www.apecs.is/who-we-are/support-apecs/adrian-dahood-fritz-memorial-fund.html
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The OPC works jointly with government agencies responsible for ocean and coastal resource management, and is supported by several partner organizations.
