Aldo Leopold Leadership Program (http://www.leopold.orst.edu)

The Aldo Leopold Leadership Program helps academic environmental scientists hone skills that enable them to better share their knowledge of environmental science with media representatives, policy makers, and the private sector. Over the past three years several PISCO scientists have received Aldo Leopold training.

California Department of Fish and Game (http://www.dfg.ca.gov)

The Mission of the Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) is "to manage California's diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public". PISCO collaborates with CDFG's Marine Region on several projects including the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) and the Marine Life Management Act (MLMA). For the MLPA, PISCO scientists serve on the Master Plan Team and the Regional Working Groups for determining how to improve the State's existing array of Marine Protected Areas. Under the MLMA, PISCO is part of a scientific advisory committee to the independent fisheries data team for the Nearshore Fisheries Management Plan. As part of this team, PISCO is working to devise a system of subtidal monitoring sites and associated SCUBA protocols for the entire coast of California. PISCO is also collaborating with CDFG to implement a monitoring framework for the Channel Islands Marine Protected Area Network.

Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (http://www.cinms.nos.noaa.gov/)

The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary is a special place, designated to protect the diverse marine life and rich cultural resources around California's Channel Islands. PISCO collaborates with the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary to further our knowledge of marine environments and provide scientific information to support important management decisions. PISCO scientists volunteered to serve on the Science Advisory Panel to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary during the process to establish marine reserves in the Sanctuary. In addition, PISCO provided educational materials on marine reserves to the Sanctuary program. PISCO continues to participate in collaborative research with local fishermen through the Collaborative Marine Research Program, established by the Sanctuary. In the future, PISCO will contribute the expertise of local scientists to help develop the biological monitoring program for the newly established marine reserves in the Sanctuary.

College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences (COAS) at Oregon State University (http://www.coas.oregonstate.edu)

PISCO and the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Science (COAS) have commenced three separate research collaborations that greatly enhance the individual research goals of both programs. In collaboration with the National Oceanographic Partnership Program under COAS, we extended the coverage of nearshore moorings to jointly examine the cross-shelf characteristics and dynamics of oceanographic processes. With COAS researchers, PISCO is exploring the correlations between measurements from high-frequency coastal radar (CODAR) and moored current meters. Finally, investigators from PISCO and COAS developed a flow-through system on the R/V ELAKHA for continuous measurement of temperature, salinity, and chlorophyll-a.

Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea (COMPASS) (http://www.compassonline.org)

COMPASS, a partnership of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, SeaWeb, Island Press, and a Board of Scientific Experts, has presented valuable opportunities for PISCO scientists to share their scientific knowledge with policymakers, the media, and the interested public about current marine issues. In addition, training provided by COMPASS staff has enabled PISCO scientists to more effectively communicate with the media about marine conservation science. In return, PISCO offers the latest research findings about the nearshore environment along the U.S. West Coast to COMPASS, which distributes this information to those charged with making policy, management, and conservation decisions about oceans. PISCO and COMPASS jointly fund a Marine Reserve Policy Specialist position based at Oregon State University.

GLOBEC Northeast Pacific Program (http://globec.oce.orst.edu/groups/nep/index.html)

The Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (GLOBEC) program is a multi-disciplinary research program designed to examine the potential impact of global climate change on ocean ecosystems. GLOBEC is jointly funded by the National Science Foundation and the Coastal Ocean Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. PISCO collaborates with the GLOBEC Northeast Pacific Program to sponsor the annual Pacific Northwest Oceanographic Research Meeting (PNORM). PISCO convened the first PNORM with the goal of bringing together scientists who examine physical oceanographic patterns and processes off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and northern California. The objective of the meeting is to share and discuss research plans, to facilitate collaborations, and to share information about oceanographic research with an interdisciplinary audience. PNORM has entered its third year and interest from the oceanographic and ecological research communities continues to grow.

Institute for Marine Protected Area Science (http://mpa.gov/mpabusiness/center.html)

The National Marine Protected Areas Center is an innovative partnership between NOAA and the Department of the Interior dedicated to providing information, tools and training for the effective design and management of the nation's MPAs. The Center's Science Institute, collocated with NOAA's Fisheries Lab in Santa Cruz, works with agency and non-governmental partners to bring sound science to MPA policy and decision-making. PISCO scientists have worked closely with the Center's staff in hosting, organizing and leading discussions at national meetings, and in designing methods to evaluate the effectiveness of MPAs.

Marine Resource Management Program at Oregon State University (http://www.oce.orst.edu/mrm)

The Marine Resource Management (MRM) Program is an interdisciplinary Masters degree program based in OSU's College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences MRM, in collaboraiton with other colleges and departments at OSU, trains students for resource management careers in government, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations. PISCO and MRM jointly instructed a new, graduate-level course about the science, policy, and management of marine reserves. Twenty-four students from seven departments at OSU and the University of Oregon School of Law participated.

Mineral Management Service (MMS) (http://www.mms.gov)

The Minerals Management Service (MMS), a bureau in the U.S. Department of the Interior, manages the nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on the outer continental shelf (OCS). Within its purview are research programs to increase the level of understanding of marine and coastal ecosystems and the potential effects of oil and gas activities on these systems. PISCO researchers collaborate with MMS on their Shoreline Inventory that comprises three types of projects: 1) long-term community surveys, 2) comprehensive surveys of biodiversity and habitat associations and 3) resurveys of historic Bureau of Land Management inventories. The overall goal of the Shoreline Inventory is to provide the most comprehensive, long-term and spatially expansive monitoring program ever designed for the intertidal areas of the West Coast of North America.

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) (http://bonita.mbnms.nos.noaa.gov)

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is the largest National Marine Sanctuary in the Nation, covering 5,322 square miles of ocean and 276 miles of coastline along the California central coast. The Sanctuary protects the natural resources contained within its boundaries and promotes research, education, and public use. PISCO is fortunate enough to collaborate with MBNMS staff on a number of issues including invasive species monitoring, dissemination of scientific information to the public, and the new Sanctuary Integrated Monitoring Network (SIMoN). One of the main goals of SIMoN is to establish ecosystem monitoring programs through grants to local investigators that will complement existing programs such as PISCO. In addition, PISCO is grateful for the access to study sites provided by the Sanctuary through their permitting process.

Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network (MARINE) (http://www.mms.gov/omm/pacific/enviro/mint.htm )

PISCO is part of the MARINE consortium, whose goals are to quantify the health of the Rocky Intertidal Shoreline biota and the biota that rely on it for habitat in order to inform managers and the public. Other MARINE goals include standardization of field protocols and joint publication of the data. Currently the program encompasses 61 sites from San Luis Obispo to San Diego.

Northwest Alliance for Computational Science and Engineering (http://www.nacse.org)

The Northwest Alliance for Computational Science and Engineering (NACSE) develops user interfaces that make it easier for scientists and engineers to find, retrieve, and use data resources on the Internet. In addition to hosting the PISCO website, NACSE provides technical design support for the Catalogue of Oregon Coastal and Marine Information (COMCI), a joint project of PISCO and Oregon Sea Grant.

Ocean-Coastal Management Program of Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (http://www.lcd.state.or.us/coast/index.html )

The mission of the Ocean-Coastal Management Program is to provide the Oregon public with sustainable coastal natural resources. The program oversees the state's Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC), which currently is considering the need for marine reserves in Oregon's territorial waters. PISCO compiled comprehensive information about existing marine protected areas and reserves along the Oregon coast. The Ocean-Coastal Management Program used this product as the foundation for a MPA inventory mandated by OPAC as part of its evaluation of marine reserves.

Ocean Wilderness Network (OWN) (http://www.oceanwildernessnetwork.org)

OWN is a coalition of conservation groups with the mission of expanding the area and effectiveness of marine protected areas along the U.S. West Coast. PISCO collaborates with OWN to provide the latest scientific information about marine reserves to decision makers, resource managers, media, and the interested public.

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (http://www.ocnms.nos.noaa.gov)

The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary manages 3,310-square miles of marine waters off the rugged Olympic Peninsula coastline. PISCO collaborates with the Sanctuary on nearshore oceanographic research. During the last 2 years, the Sanctuary has deployed a PISCO-style nearshore-mooring array between Neah Bay and Kalaloch. PISCO's involvement has provided the expertise necessary for mooring construction and deployment. The Olympic Region Harmful Algal Bloom Research Program (ORHAB) is a partial supporter of this work. In addition, the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary provides lodging and access to study sites for PISCO field crews working in Washington, and has involved PISCO in a workshop to identify long-term subtidal monitoring programs for OCNMS.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (http://www.dfw.state.or.us)

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife protects and enhances Oregon's fish and wildlife and their habitats for use and enjoyment by present and future generations. PISCO collaborates with Department staff on subtidal surveys of nearshore rocky reefs and kelp forests, using both remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and SCUBA divers. Also, we have partnered on public education efforts to raise awareness by K-12 teachers and students about Oregon's rocky shores.

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (http://www.prd.state.or.us)

The mission of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (ORPD) is to provide and protect outstanding natural, scenic, cultural, historic and recreational sites for the enjoyment and education of present and future generations of Oregonians. The Department manages 230 properties around the state, including several along the Oregon coast. PISCO worked with Oregon Parks and Recreation Department in designing a monitoring protocol for gauging the effects of the first-ever commercial harvest of marine algae. OPRD also provides access and in-kind lodging for PISCO field researchers while they conduct surveys of intertidal biodiversity. The Department conducts interpretive programs in Oregon's rocky shores and is committed to full implementation of the Rocky Shores Management Strategy of the 1994 Territorial Sea Plan. OPRD is a member of the State of Oregon Ocean Policy Advisory Council.

Oregon Sea Grant (http://seagrant.orst.edu)

Oregon Sea Grant works to further knowledge of the marine and coastal environments of the Pacific Northwest, and the forces - natural and human - that shape their destiny. PISCO is collaborating with Oregon Sea Grant to develop an on-line, searchable, meta-database, describing information (spatial and non-spatial) about biogeophysical and socioeconomic data pertaining to Oregon's marine and coastal environment. Called the Catalogue of Oregon Marine and Coastal Information (COMCI), this database aims to pull together disparate sources of marine and coastal information and in doing so assist in informing area-based management. The COMCI will be immediately useful to Oregon's Ocean Policy Advisory Council, state agencies, and other entities as they evaluate marine resource management alternatives.

Save Our Shores (http://www.saveourshores.org)

The mission of Save Our Shores (SOS) is to protect and promote the ecological integrity of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary through policy research, education, and citizen action. PISCO had the pleasure of collaborating with SOS in coordinating the Central Coast Fishermen's Forum on Marine Protected Areas in Spring 2002.

SeaWeb (http://www.seaweb.org)

SeaWeb raises awareness of the world ocean and the life within it by providing information from a broad spectrum of sources. SeaWeb staff, with extensive expertise in communicating with media, has played an important role in helping PISCO researchers to share their scientific knowledge about current marine issues.

University of California Natural Reserve System (http://nrs.ucop.edu)

The mission of the Natural Reserve System is to contribute to the understanding and management of natural systems by supporting university teaching, research, and public service at protected areas in California. PISCO scientists conduct intertidal and subtidal surveys and studies at four sites within the UC Natural Reserve System. From north to south, the sites are Bodega Marine Reserve on Bodega Head in Sonoma County, Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve along the Big Sur Coast (http://www.redshift.com/~bigcreek/), Kenneth S. North Rancho Marino Reserve in Cambria and Coal Oil Point along the Santa Barbara Channel. PISCO technicians work closely with the reserve managers at each site to facilitate logistics and collaboration among researchers.