Oceans Webinar: Bridging Science and Action
The California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is hosting a series of webinars, Indicators of Climate Change: Bridging Science and Action, as part of its efforts to track and report on climate change and its impacts on California. Each webinar will synthesize new science and data, and showcase state, local, Tribal or community actions on a selected climate change topic. OEHHA will co-convene each webinar with one or more state agency partners with responsibilities relating to the topic.
Webinar #5: Impacts on Oceans
Thursday, July 31, 2024 - 10:00 am to 11:30 am
Register on Zoom to join the webinar.
This webinar is the fifth in the series, co-convened with the Ocean Protection Council. It will address the impacts of climate change on California’s oceans and coasts, and efforts underway to address them.
AGENDA
Andrew Leising, Research Oceanographer, NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center
Trends in ocean warming, and the potential impacts on coastal ecosystems and fisheries
This talk will focus on trends in ocean dynamics and particularly ocean warming along the California coast, covering topics from changes in upwelling variability to impacts of marine heatwaves and El Niños, all within the context of longer term climate change (e.g. long-term ocean warming). There will be a brief discussion of the ecological "winners and losers" associated with these trends, along with potential impacts on fisheries activities along the US west coast.
Adam Canter, Natural Resource Director, Wiyot Tribe
Shou’r – Our Relative the Ocean and Climate Change Impacts on the North Coast
The Wiyot having been living in reciprocal relationships with the Shou’r (Pacific Ocean), Wigi (Humboldt Bay), and the lower Wiya’t (Eel) and Baduwa’t (Mad) Rivers since time immemorial, successfully adapting to climate change and sea level rise (SLR). For a region experiencing the fastest rate of SLR in California along with other stressors like drought and increased water temperatures, the Wiyot are working to identify actions that will ensure the continuation of cultural lifeways and and subsistence practices for future generations.
Kaitlyn Kalua, Deputy Director, Ocean Protection Council
Bridging Climate Science to Coastal and Ocean Policy: Addressing Sea Level Rise, Changing Ocean Conditions, and Their Impacts
This talk will explore the Ocean Protection Council’s latest scientific insights on sea level rise, changing ocean conditions, and their profound impacts on coastal habitats and fisheries. It will emphasize the critical connection between science and policy, highlighting effective strategies for translating research into actionable solutions for coastal resilience and sustainable ocean management.
Kate Hagemann, Climate Adaptation and Resilience Planner, City of San Rafael
Carly Finkle, Senior Policy Manager, Canal Alliance
Rita Mazariegos, Member, San Rafael Sea Level Rise Steering Committee
Preparing for Sea Level Rise in San Rafael
This talk will highlight how sea level rise is affecting one of the most vulnerable communities in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Rafael, and describe an on-going adaptation planning project. The project is a collaborative effort with the community-based organizations, Canal Alliance, the Multicultural Center of Marin, the City and many partners -- all working together with the community to explore the feasibility of different adaptation actions.
Julie Johnson, Engineering Geologist, Underground Storage Tank Cleanup and GeoTracker Unit, Division of Water Quality, State Water Resources Control Board
Optimizing GeoTracker for Climate Change
This talk will describe efforts by the State Water Resources Control Board’s GeoTracker, Underground Storage Tank and Site Cleanup teams, in coordination with the Department of Toxic Substances Control, to create a publicly-available climate change vulnerability assessment tool focusing on the thousands of hazardous contaminant release cleanup sites across California