Marine Conservation Articles

Rocky Habitat Proposals Achieve OPAC Approval

The view from Blacklock Point.\Photo by Alex Derr. Breaking news: the state's Ocean Policy Advisory Council approved special protective designations for six key rocky shore habitat sites. These recommendations now go to the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCD ) for final, official designation. This is the last step but one in a long journey...Read more
Rocky intertidal habitat at Oswald West State Park.

Decisions Coming on Rocky Habitat Protection Proposals

Rocky intertidal at Oswald West State Park.\Photo by Molly Sultany. What’s next for designating new rocky habitats in Oregon? Six proposals are alive and in continuing consultation. These sites include Ecola Point and Chapman Point in Clatsop County, Blacklock Point in Curry, Cape Foulweather, Cape Lookout in Tillamook, and Fogarty Creek and Cape Foulweather in...Read more
Purple urchins.\Photo by Alex Derr.

Climate Vulnerability Assessment Proposed for Fisheries

Purple urchins.\Photo by Alex Derr. Oregon Shores sponsored an online talk on Sept. 8 by Mark Carr on “Preparing for a Changing Ocean.” The presentation was part of a series of talks by experts from around the country that we have sponsored during our 50 th anniversary year, as we look ahead to the next 50 years of coastal conservation. Dr. Carr’s talk prompted...Read more

South Coast Colleagues Seek a Treasurer

Bandon shoreline.\Photo by Steve Garrett. Bandon’s Shoreline Education for Awareness (SEA), a group with which CoastWatch collaborates (and has adopted a CoastWatch mile), is seeking a volunteer who shares their conservation commitment to serve as treasurer on their board. Responsibilities include establishing the yearly budget, supervision of the bookkeeper to...Read more

Public Comment on Rocky Habitat Plan Due

tidepool_cape_perpetua_briton_ogden_small.jpg The public has one more chance to offer comments on Oregon’s newly emerging Rocky Habitat Management Strategy. After several years of work—in which Oregon Shores has participated actively—an all-but-final draft is being considered. The Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) is expected to...Read more

Black Oystercatcher Survey Still Taking Place

oystercatchers_by_alex_derr.jpg The annual citizen science project to survey Black Oystercatcher nests is coming up again, May through August, and volunteers are needed. The survey is a partnership among the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, Portland Audubon, and local conservation groups. CoastWatch is not one of the...Read more

State Adopts Plan to Address Ocean Acidification

Oregon's ocean off Netarts, Cape Lookout in the background.\Photo by Dale Harmer. Mandated by the 2017 Oregon Legislature, the state developed a plan to address the growing problem of ocean acidification and hypoxia (OAH). The Oregon Coordinating Council on Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia (OAH), a body composed of scientists and agency leaders, with...Read more

Oregon Rises to Oppose Ocean Oil Drilling

oil_spill_preview.png On Jan. 4, the Trump Administration abruptly announced that it planned to open 90% of U.S ocean waters to oil drilling. Lease sales would be offered in 25 of the 26 areas into which America’s federal ocean waters are divided, including the area off Oregon and Washington. At virtually the same time, the administration also announced...Read more
The beach at Rockaway.\Photo by Sonja Peterson.

Bacteria Findings Show Need for Water Quality Monitoring

The beach at Rockaway.\Photo by Sonja Peterson. The Oregon Beach Monitoring Program , based at the Oregon Health Association Public Health Division , began its annual, regular evaluation...Read more
Leaving Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve. Photo courtesy of ODFW.

Ocean Frontiers Films Available for Screening

redfish_rocks_behind_odfw.jpg Oregon Shores recently co-sponsored a screening of Ocean Frontiers: The Dawn of a New Era in Ocean Planning . This is the latest film from Green Fire Productions, which has been chronicling the development of marine reserves and ocean conservation efforts through a series of documentary works. If your organization would...Read more