First Biennial Ocean Climate Summit: Finding Solutions for San Francisco Bay Area's Coast and Ocean

On April 29, 2008, Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary held the "First Biennial Ocean Climate Summit" for the San Francisco Bay Area's coast and ocean environment. The goal of the summit was to address potential climate change impacts for local coastal and open ocean ecosystems through fostering awareness, advocating solutions, and promoting action amongst government agencies, public organizations, private corporations, and individuals in order to build ecosystem resilience and sustainability.

To achieve this goal, the following summit objectives were established for the Bay Area's coast and ocean environment: identify key climate change drivers and impacts affecting the area; discuss the steps in research, outreach, and policy reform needed to address the carbon footprint affecting this area; determine how existing climate change programs can collaborate to help support the needs of this area; identify the important critical marine habitats within the area that must be managed for resilience and sustainability; and promote partnerships amongst agencies, non-profit organizations, private businesses, and stakeholders. The desired summit outcomes included developing strategies for an Action Plan to establish the "Climate Solutions Initiative" for the Bay Area marine environment and serving as a pilot program for implementing localized climate change initiatives amongst NOAA's national marine sanctuary system. Over 100 participants from numerous federal, state, and local agencies, non-profit organizations, foundations, academic institutions, and the business community attended the meeting. For more information click here then click on "2008 Ocean Climate Summit" or contact kelley.higgason@noaa.gov.