We also conduct research on the impacts of environmental variability and climate change on marine ecosystems and on fishery and conservation socio-economics. Our scientists conduct biological, ecological and oceanographic research, observations, and monitoring of the region’s living marine resources and their environments. These waters support valuable commercial, tribal, and recreational fisheries and are also home to many protected species of marine mammals, turtles, and seabirds. Coast from Canada to Mexico, the California Current is characterized by some of the most dramatic annual, interannual, and decadal environmental variability in the world. Our research encompasses the waters of the California Current and adjacent inland watersheds, bays and estuaries of California. NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast Region, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, and Southwest Fisheries Science Center work together to apply the latest science to sustainably manage the rich marine resources of the region for generations to come. Our prolific bays and estuaries nurture Dungeness crabs, oysters, and other delectable shellfish prized around the world. Parents teach their kids to fish the West Coast’s 7,000 miles of shore and view wildlife such as elephant seals, sea turtles, and sea lions. The ocean also shapes our communities and culture, from the colorful heritage of Cannery Row to tribes celebrating the season’s first salmon to return from the sea. We harvest close to a billion pounds of seafood, worth nearly $1 billion, each year. Fishing the Pacific lifts spirits, feeds families and supports the economies of California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. From killer whales slicing through waves to salmon jumping rapids on their journey home, marine life fills and defines the waters of the West Coast.
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