HONDA MARINE SCIENCE FOUNDATION

THE NATURE CONSERVANCY (TNC) HAS IDENTIFIED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NETWORK OF REGENERATIVE OCEAN KELP FARMS AS A MEANS OF DRIVING KELP REFORESTATION AND LONG-TERM RECOVERY IN CALIFORNIA. TNC IS LAUNCHING A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT TO ESTABLISH THE FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND REGENERATIVE OCEAN FARM ON THE NORTH COAST OF CALIFORNIA. THIS PROJECT WILL RESTORE 20 ACRES OF KELP FORESTS, VALIDATE THE POTENTIAL OF REGENERATIVE OCEAN FARMING, AND BRING BACK THE PRODUCTIVITY AND BIODIVERSITY OF THE ECOSYSTEM WHILE PROVIDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR COASTAL COMMUNITIES. TNC'S GOAL WITH THIS PROJECT IS TO ESTABLISH A FRAMEWORK THAT CAN HELP RESTORE BULL KELP POPULATIONS AND THE LIVING SHORELINES THEY SUPPORT ALONG THE CALIFORNIA COASTLINE.

CALIFORNIA OCEAN SCIENCE TRUST (OST, 501C3, EIN: 6 5-1261006) IS THRILLED TO PROPOSE A PROJECT FOCUSED ON SCIENCE INFORMING SOLUTIONS, AS WE SEEK TO MAKE COASTAL NATURE-BASED ADAPTATION, SPECIFICALLY LIVING SHORELINES, WORK MORE EQUITABLY FOR NATURE AND PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA. OST WILL CONVENE AN INTERDISCIPLINARY WORKING GROUP OF EXPERTS TO DEVELOP EVIDENCE-BASED SCIENCE GUIDANCE FOR ACHIEVING SOCIALLY EQUITABLE OUTCOMES OF LIVING SHORELINES. WORKING GROUP MEMBERS WILL REPRESENT EXPERTS IN ACADEMIC FIELDS SUCH AS SOCIAL VULNERABILITY, COASTAL ECOLOGY, AND DESIGN/ENGINEERING ALONGSIDE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE PRACTITIONERS, EQUITY-BASED NONPROFITS, AND COMMUNITY-BASED ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS. SIMULTANEOUSLY, OST WILL LEVERAGE OUR UNIQUE CONNECTIONS TO THE STATE TO CONVENE AN INFORMAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF STATE AGENCY POLICY-MAKERS, AS WELL AS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FUNDERS TO ENSURE THAT THE FINAL RESULTS ARE ACTIONABLE WITHIN CALIFORNIA POLICY AND FUNDING FOR RESTORATION.

RECONNECTING TO KENDALL-FROST MARSH IS A PROJECT THAT BRINGS NEW AND NEEDED PERSPECTIVES TO COASTAL WETLAND RESTORATION IN SAN DIEGO'S MISSION BAY. BRINGING INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE AND PARTNERSHIP TO THE FOREFRONT OF HABITAT MANAGEMENT AND ACCESS DISCUSSIONS IS NEEDED ALONG OUR SHARED SHORELINE THROUGHOUT THE STATE. WE WILL CONDUCT INNOVATIVE RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY-DRIVEN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE LIVING HISTORY AND FUTURE MANAGEMENT AND ACCESS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA NATURAL RESERVE SYSTEM'S KENDALL-FROST MARSH RESERVE AND SET A BENCHMARK FOR COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT FOR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND LOCATIONS TO FOLLOW.

THE CENTRAL OBJECTIVE OF OUR PROJECT IS TO FILL KEY KNOWLEDGE GAPS IN QUANTIFYING THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN CORAL REEF RESTORATION ACTIONS AND HYDRODYNAMIC RESPONSES AT THE SHORELINE TO INFORM THE DESIGN OF CORAL RESTORATION FOR SHORELINE PROTECTION. WE WILL USE A SYSTEMATIC SERIES OF COUPLED 3D WAVE/CIRCULATION MODEL SIMULATIONS OF IDEALIZED CORAL REEFS, CORRESPONDING TO DIFFERENT CANDIDATE CORAL RESTORATION DESIGNS (E.G., VARYING CORAL HEIGHT, SPACING, POSITION ON REEF, PATCHINESS/CLUSTERING, ANTECEDENT BOTTOM ROUGHNESS) TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFECTS ON WAVE ATTENUATION, DETERMINE FORCES ON RESTORED CORALS AT DIFFERENT POSITIONS ON THE REEF, AND BREAKAGE PROBABILITIES. THESE ANALYSES WILL ASSIST IN IDENTIFYING SPECIES, CONFIGURATIONS, PLACEMENT, AND ATTACHMENT METHODS FOR THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL FOR SUCCESSFUL RESTORATION.

THE SWEETGRASS LIVING SHORELINE RESTORATION PROJECT INTEGRATES SCIENCE, PLANNING, DESIGN, AND STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION TO DEVELOP, FABRICATE, DEPLOY, AND MONITOR PROTOTYPICAL FLOATING WETLAND COASTAL SHORELINE DESIGNS FOR KEY URBAN TEST SITES IN THE LAKE WASHINGTON CEDAR-SAMMAMISH WATERSHED (WATER RESOURCE INVENTORY AREA 8WRIA 8) AND ESTUARINE PUGET SOUND SHORELINE.