In the Spring 2024 issue of Channel, we introduced “One Health” as a global initiative
and theme underlying CI’s 2030+ strategic priorities and goals. These emphasize
our commitment to the region’s communities, economies, and environments. This is the
final article in our “One Health” series.
By Geoffrey Dilly, Jason Miller, and Jenn Perry
For thousands of years, communities have flourished in our region through a “Blue Economy” of trade, technological innovation, and sustainable coastal lifeways.
Exponential population growth and extractive practices have damaged our environment and shown that we are quickly approaching the limits of our ability to sustain a healthy society. While “Blue Economy” might be a newly coined term, it reflects current efforts to build on principles and practices developed generations ago to support a vastly larger population in a similarly sustainable and renewable fashion.
The Blue Economy includes industries that harness or depend on ocean resources such as fisheries, mariculture (marine-based aquaculture), maritime trade, maritime technology, and renewable energy. In neighboring Santa Barbara County, the Blue Economy contributes more than $7 billion annually and provides 45,000 jobs. Several regional sectors expect growth, especially in aquaculture and blue tech. However, oceans are facing multiplying challenges — climate change, overfishing, microplastics — and it is critical that our New Blue Economy be developed with sustainability and resilience as core values.
In Ventura County, the Port of Hueneme is the only deep-water port between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Hueneme, a Chumash place name, refers to where people launched and landed boats for fishing, trade and travel to the Channel Islands for centuries. Today, the Port generates $2.8 billion in annual economic activity, creates 25,000 trade-related jobs, and creates $236 million in tax revenue, which funds vital community services. These numbers continue to increase while the Port decreases its impact on the environment through decarbonization, electrification, and whale protection programs such as its Vessel Speed Reduction program.
Students toured Fathomwerx, a collaborative research company specializing in serving the Blue Economy.
Next door to the Port, the U.S. Navy (Naval Base Ventura County) employs world-class environmental scientists and technicians to monitor and protect the Mugu Lagoon, San Nicolas Island, and other Navy properties around the globe. Collaborating with private industry and educational partners, including CI, Fathomwerx experiments and tests innovations in maritime safety and security. Fathomwerx feeds a growing community of Blue Economy entrepreneurs in our region by bringing together technology innovators to meet Navy challenges and to conduct ‘technology transfer,’ the process of using Navy intellectual property and products to meet challenges in mariculture, agriculture, maritime technology, and other Blue industries.
CI is leading research into coastal resilience and sustainable aquaculture. Since
2014, our Santa Rosa Island Research Station has facilitated researchers and students
in conducting experimental, monitoring, and restoration projects on the island. Timnit
Kefela, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science & Resource Management (ESRM)
and Associate Professor of ESRM Clare Steele studies microplastics in the environment
and in sandy intertidal organisms. ESRM lecturer Brenton Spies is working to bring
his restoration efforts in White Abalone to our campus. In addition, Spies and student
researchers are studying the impacts of LA wildfires on the endangered Tidewater Gobies.
Another research team led by Associate Professor of Biology Geoff Dilly, in partnership
with Santa Barbara Mariculture, is exploring intertidal restoration with the resettlement
of locally farmed mussels. Professor of Economics Bryan Tomlin and Dilly, along with
an international doctoral student, are building an economic feasibility and cost/benefit
comparison of mariculture in Southern California and Germany.
Bernard Friedman working at a mussel sorting/washing table. Photo contributed by Paul Wellman
CI recently joined the Ocean Collective along with Santa Barbara City College and University of California, Santa Barbara, led by Director Kim Selkoe at the Commercial Fisheries of Santa Barbara. The Collective aims to build training programs to attract and support the workforce to fully utilize the resources and opportunities of the Santa Barbara Channel. This includes addressing ongoing gaps in gender, racial and age diversity within maritime trades through proactive recruitment, training and career support. Successful implementation will require innovations in research and training, as well as intentional regional partnerships.
Fast forward to 2050 when the region boasts a wealth of sustainable mariculture farms, remote sensing capabilities monitoring changing ocean conditions, a vibrant ecosystem of public-private partnerships advancing technology and conservation, and healthy communities thriving in healthy environments. All this is with CI at the forefront. Welcome to our New Blue Economy.