California Sea Grant extension specialists work with state and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, local businesses, and members of the California coastal community to identify emerging marine resource problems and opportunities, conduct applied scientific research, and share findings with stakeholder groups.
Environmental stewardship, long-term economic development, and responsible use of California's resources are at the heart of their mission. In addition to federal Sea Grant funds, California Sea Grant extension specialists and their teams have been extremely successful in applying for and receiving grants from a variety of sources that support research, education and outreach projects that:
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Protect water quality, including effects of freshwater inputs;
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Ensure safe and sustainable seafood;
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Control aquatic invasive species;
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Recover endangered salmon, restore watersheds and protect marine habitats;
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Study socioeconomic factors affecting fishing and fishing communities;
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Contribute to ecosystem-based management involving diverse stakeholders in an era of climate change;
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Create partnerships to address critical needs in aquaculture, coastal community development and fisheries management, among others.
Our Mission
Discover and transfer science-based knowledge to help California and its residents better balance the competing needs of using and conserving coastal and marine resources for future generations.
California's Need for Extension Services
Nearly 30 million of California's 36.5 million residents live in the state's 20 coastal and San Francisco Bay area counties, creating the largest ocean-based economy in the country. The top six coastal-dependent industries alone generate about $43 billion annually.
A Statewide Team, Problem Solving
California Sea Grant Extension Program is headquartered at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. The program's eight extension specialists, an extension fellow and research assistants, with their diverse areas of expertise and wide geographic reach along the California coast, function as a statewide team and are uniquely positioned to conduct applied research and share findings with relevant stakeholders.
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