History and Funding

Learn about our program's history by reading the following. For more information about our program's development, please contact us.

CONCEPTUAL ROOTS, I

PISCO was founded on an appreciation of the extraordinary richness and complexity of coastal ecosystems and their immense economic, social, and environmental value. 

RESULTING PROGRAM, I

Since 1999, PISCO has refined its interdisciplinary research program to integrate oceanography, marine ecology, molecular physiology, biomechanics, and genetics.

The initial years of PISCO (1999-2004) were a test-bed for developing standard methods of measurement along the west coast and instituting the science, engagement, and outreach necessary to lay the groundwork for PISCO achievements.

FUNDING, I

Our activities are funded through diverse collaborative grants from public and private sources, which make the unique, multi-institutional partnership possible.

CONCEPTUAL ROOTS, III

Not only are marine communities connected across vast distances by larval dispersal, they are profoundly influenced by decade-scale climate cycles.

To understand how diverse marine ecosystems are maintained—and to help managers ensure their persistence—ecologists needed to understand:

-- how marine communities are structured and replenished, and

-- ecosystem responses to climate cycles such as Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the El Nino Southern Oscillation.

CONCEPTUAL ROOTS, IV

From these conceptual roots, a long-term, large-scale, interdisciplinary marine research program was born.

RESULTING PROGRAM, II

The following five years (2005-2009) saw a focus on integration across disciplines, development of data management systems, and increased applications of this work to policy and management questions.

Strong collaborative relationships developed during this period helped PISCO build partnerships for informing natural resource decision making.

RESULTING PROGRAM, III

Since 2010, PISCO has focused on applying its long-term research methods to emerging ecological and management questions and strengthening partnerships with public and non-profit organizations. 

In light of issues such as climate change and ocean acidification, the value of PISCO’s integrated long-term data sets is only growing.

FUNDING, II

PISCO was established in 1999 with major grants from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

With a focus on understanding the nearshore areas of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem, our goals were:

-- long-term, large-scale interdisciplinary research,

-- new scientific discoveries,

-- useful information for society, and

-- unique opportunities to train students in interdisciplinary thinking.

FUNDING, III

From 2005-2009, a core set of programs were funded by 5-year collaborative grants from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Since 2010, PISCO has been funded by a core grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation plus many other sources of additional funding from public and private sources.