OPC is hiring an Environmental Scientist to help lead its efforts to enhance coastal, marine, and estuarine biodiversity in California. The Environmental Scientist will advance these strategic priorities, as outlined in the Strategic Plan to Protect California’s Coast and Ocean, in coordination with OPC staff, state and federal agencies, California Native American tribes, local governments, scientists, non-profits, community members, and others. The Environmental Scientist will also be responsible for grant and contract management including developing scopes of work and budgets, tracking deliverables, and coordinating with grantees. The Environmental Scientist will also provide additional support and capacity for OPC’s other strategic priorities, as needed. … read more
The Ocean Protection Council will hold a hybrid public meeting via teleconference and in a public forum at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, January 24, 2023.
The webcast recording is now available on YouTube.
… read more
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced the first Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network Decadal Management Review (Review) report is now available!
The Review provides a synthesis of the last decade of management activities in the four pillars of the MPA Management Program and the effectiveness of the MPA Network at meeting the goals of the Marine Life Protection Act. The Review is informed by many sources of information, including an integrative analysis of statewide MPA monitoring data, shared perspectives and priorities from California Native American Tribes, information from MPA management partners, MPA enforcement data, scientific collecting permit data, and input from the broader ocean community. … read more
New Report and Research Funding Opportunity from Sea Grant and University of Southern California
A Deep Ocean DDT+ Research Needs Assessment for the Southern California Bight January 2023
The University of Southern California (USC) Sea Grant Program and the California Sea Grant Program jointly announced the release of a new report and StoryMap detailing what research is needed most urgently to address the deep ocean DDT contamination off the coast of Los Angeles.
DDT, an insecticide banned in 1972, has harmful impacts on wildlife and potential carcinogenic effects on humans. The unknowns about deep ocean DDT+ instigated a call to action by researchers, national and state leadership, and the broader Southern California community. … read more
January 12, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: copcpublic@resources.ca.gov
Governor Newsom Appoints Jenn Eckerle as Deputy Secretary for Oceans and Coastal Policy
SACRAMENTO – Yesterday, Governor Newsom appointed Jenn Eckerle as Deputy Secretary for Oceans and Coastal Policy at the California Natural Resources Agency. In this role, Jenn serves as a key advisor to the Governor and the Secretary for Natural Resources and directs policy, scientific research, and critical partnerships to increase protection of California’s coast and ocean as the Executive Director of the Ocean Protection Council (OPC). … read more
By Michael Esgro, Senior Biodiversity Program Manager & Tribal Liaison
UPDATE: On December 19, 2022, more than 190 countries agreed on a landmark new deal to protect nature and halt biodiversity loss worldwide. The new Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework calls for conservation action at an unprecedented scale, and includes a commitment to conserve 30% of the planet’s land and oceans by 2030.
An unprecedented global gathering is currently taking place in Montreal, Canada, where representatives from 195 nations have convened at the United Nations biodiversity conference (COP 15) to negotiate a new agreement to protect the world’s habitats and species. COP 15 has been described as a “Paris moment for nature.” It is a once-in-a-decade chance – and perhaps the last opportunity before it’s too late – for nations to come together to halt extinctions and set the world on a path toward a nature-positive future. But a lack of national-level leadership across the globe, disagreements over financing, and the complexity of the biodiversity crisis itself have caused negotiations to teeter in recent days. Against this backdrop, a group of California leaders arrived in Montreal last week to showcase our state’s global leadership on biodiversity and push for an ambitious agreement aligned with California values.
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The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) is hiring an Environmental Scientist to help lead its efforts to support local and regional jurisdictions plan and prepare for the impacts of sea-level rise. The Environmental Scientist will advance these strategic priorities, as outlined in the Strategic Plan to Protect California’s Coast and Ocean, in coordination with OPC staff, state and federal agencies, California Native American tribes, local governments, scientists, non-profits, community members, and others. The Environmental Scientist will also be responsible for grant and contract management including developing scopes of work and budgets, tracking deliverables, and coordinating with grantees. The Environmental Scientist will also provide additional support and capacity for OPC’s other strategic priorities, as needed.
… read more
We are hiring up to five Student Assistants for our 2023 Summer Internship Program. The purpose of the program is to provide undergraduate college students with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience with a small state agency focused on protecting and enhancing the state’s coastal and ocean ecosystems and ensuring easy, affordable access to and along the coast for all Californians.
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Conserving 30% of California’s Coastal Waters by 2030
Please join us for a roundtable discussion on how the state will meet its goal to conserve 30% of coastal waters by 2030, conserve coastal and marine biodiversity, and enhance climate resilience. … read more
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Lisa Lien-Mager, California Natural Resources Agency
(916) 407-6279
SACRAMENTO – In a step toward more sustainable fishing, a new California program helped 38 commercial fishermen retire large-mesh drift gillnets and adopt gear that better protects sea turtles, whales, and other sensitive marine species. The program, created by the California Legislature and implemented through regulations established by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), provides financial compensation to California commercial large-mesh drift gillnet fishermen who voluntarily turn in their nets and permits and switch to more selective fishing gear, including innovative deep-set buoy gear.
… read more
