Conservation and Restoration

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Conservation And Restoration

From rebuilding habitats to restoring endangered species, our researchers are working to protect and revive California’s coastal ecosystems. Conservation science at the Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute blends ecological research with hands-on restoration, tackling habitat loss, fisheries management, and species recovery. Through partnerships and long-term monitoring, these efforts support healthier oceans for the future.

A panel of three images showing a white abalone, kelp, and salmon

Research Programs

Among our current research programs and projects, we are working to restore white abalone populations, rebuilding kelp ecosystems, and working with fishers through the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program to support sustainable marine resources.

California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP)

Marine Invertebrate Fisheries and Conservation

White Abalone Conservation

Kelp Restoration

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Restoration In Action:

Join the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory's Aquatic Resources Group to see how tiny Olympia oysters (Ostrea lurida) - the only oyster species native to the west coast of the US - are prepared for outplanting into the ocean. Video courtesy of Sam Briggs.

Featured Story:

A colorful illustration showing an imagined view of white abalone falling out of a plane into the ocean with the caption "LightHawk, a non- profit flight organization, volunteers its pilots, staff, and flight hours to assist in transferring white abalone between facilities in partnership with the White Abalone Captive Breeding Program at the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory. White abalone are not actually dropped directly into the sea!"

Making Space for White Abalone

White abalone have influenced cultural traditions, inspired regional cuisine, and moved generations of ocean lovers, but when overfishing pushed white abalone to the bring of extinction, humans and white abalone had to develop an entirely new relationship with each other.