New HAB Bulletin Released

The January-February 2026 California Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Bulletin is now available! Our latest edition includes a comprehensive summary of model outputs, real-time observations, and public health advisories to keep you informed about HAB activity along the California coast. 

In other HAB-related news, there is a call for nominations for the National Harmful Algal Bloom Committee (NHC) - deadline is May 31. They are soliciting nominations for an early career researcher to serve for a period of three years. 

SCCOOS Program Coordinator, Danielle Muller, is San Diego MPA Collaborative co-chair. She shares co-chair duties alongside Wildcoast and the City of Oceanside.

MPA Collaborative Features SCCOOS 

The MPA Collaborative Network was formed in 2013 and consists of 14 collaboratives to empower coastal communities to participate in the management, education, and enforcement of California’s 124 marine protected areas (MPAs). Each collaborative hosts two public meetings a year; consider joining a meeting or signing up for their newsletter by visiting their website. Danielle Muller, SCCOOS Program Coordinator, began as a co-chair a little over a year ago, check out more about Danielle’s role on their Instagram co-chair highlight.

StartBlue Applications for 2026 Fall Program Now Open - Closes June 21

SCCCOOS is a proud StartBlue partner! This program welcomes innovative, impact-driven ocean intelligence startups that are ready to accelerate their commercialization journey. Eligible startups join one of two tracks, Launch for early-stage and Scale for later-stage, based on their overall stage of business, commercial, and technology development. To be eligible, applicants must:

(*Startups outside the scope of the Ocean Enterprise are welcome to apply and join the program but may not be eligible to receive non-dilutive awards from NOAA). Applications close on June 21, cohort selection will be notified by the end of August 2026.  Information sessions: May 1 (12-1:15 pm PDT), May 27 (11 am-12:15 pm PDT), June 12 (12-1:15 pm PDT). Read the 2025 StartBlue Impact Report for more context.

SCCOOS, CeNCOOS, and NANOOS met with West Coast Congressional Offices to inform them of the importance of sustaining high-quality long-term ocean observing. Each of the Regional Associations of IOOS send staff to DC for the Spring Meeting and Hill visits.  It is a great time for the regions to catch up over a meal.

The Nature Record Public Comment Period Now Open  

SCCOOS Director, Clarissa Anderson featured in LAist AirTalk podcast 

On March 25th, Clarissa and Andrew Leising, Research Oceanographer at NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Science Division, Climate and Ecosystems Program, spoke to fill in host Jacob Margolis about marine heatwaves.  They discussed how warm water affects fisheries, primary productivity of the food web, and algal blooms.

The Integrated Ocean Observing System's Animal Telemetry Network can help us better understand marine life. Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) is a key partner of the new Northeast Pacific Acoustic Telemetry (N-PAcT) node that spans Alaska to Baja California. 

SCCOOS funds the Southern California Animal Telemetry Network (SCATN) that is run out of SharkLab at CSU Long Beach. SCCOOS supports SCATN operations, utilizing 80 receivers and 15 real-time buoys to provide continuous detections of white sharks and other marine species for beach safety and regional risk awareness.Access their Data assembly Center to search, discover, and access animal telemetry data and associated oceanographic datasets from a wide variety of species and platforms.

As part of the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigation (CalCOFI), California Current Ecosystem - Long-term Ecological Research (CCE-LTER) and SCCOOS programs, Farallon Institute conducts at-sea seabird surveys seasonally along the Southern California and Central California Coast. Since 1987, these seabird reports record the number and species of birds, helping to track populations patterns alongside ocean conditions. Access the latest report  on the SCCOOS website: Winter 2026 CalCOFI data report

An expert working group of researchers and environmental managers, pictured at a two-day workshop at the Orange County Sanitation District, has developed recommendations for multiple short-term approaches that California should prioritize implementing over the next five years to control and mitigate harmful algal blooms (HABs) in coastal marine environments.

On January 12 & 13, SCCOOS Director, Clarissa Anderson joined a 21-member expert working group of researchers and environmental managers were tasked with reviewing short-term strategies for controlling and mitigating harmful algal blooms (HABs) in marine environments. The working group identified multiple approaches that California should prioritize and implement over the next five years, including expanded field monitoring programs, improved modeling tools for forecasting HABs, small-scale studies of control methods for semi-closed systems, and bolstered capacity to respond to mass wildlife poisoning events. A technical report was created to formulate its recommendations.

Starting in the upper left and going clockwise: Dr. Tony Sleugh and Dr. Kady Lyons host a panel addressing public health concerns for DDT+. Professor Eunha Hoh and Raymmah Garcia host a panel addressing the potential impact of DDT+ on sea life. SCCOOS Outreach Specialist, Makenna Martin leads the panel addressing the size and extent of DDT+ dumped offshore Los Angeles. Makenna contributed to our DDT discussion. Makenna watches on while UCSB scientist speaks to DDT+ persisting offshore over time. Makenna reports out on her group's input during the breakout.

Alongside California Sea Grant, USC Sea Grant, Heal the Bay, and Sacred Places Institute for Indigenous Peoples, SCCOOS held our last DDT community meeting on January 20th at the University of Southern California. Over 300 virtual and in person attendees heard the latest research findings about where DDT and its associated compounds have been found and how they could impact humans and wildlife. 

Interested in hearing about what has been learned so far? Check out the video of our DDT community meeting in Spanish and English. As well as a FAQ document populated with all the questions we received from the public

More Resources

SCCOOS program staff and our network of scientists, techs, and students are spreading the ocean observing word by giving presentations, providing tours, attending meetings, facilitating webinars - you name it! All with the hope of raising our awareness with the latest science.  Please consider signing up for our email list. Our bi-monthly On The Horizon plugs you into current opportunities and resources. Our PI Spotlights  (Dan Rudnick, Melissa Carter, Jim Behrens, Marisol Garcia-Reyes, Libe Washburn, Ally Pasulka, and Chris Lowe) show the people that make up our team, how ocean observing is done, and the societal benefits they provide.

Here is what SCCOOS has been up to over the past few months.

Interesting Reading

Resources

Opportunities