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Fall 2026. So much news!
Ocean Leadership Showcase on December 3rd
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Beginning with our planned events, the Bay Area Ocean Cluster (BAOC) will be presenting the first annual Ocean Leadership Showcase on the afternoon of Dec. 3 at the Hopkins Marine Station, a shoreline venue adjoining the Monterey Aquarium. Our sponsors are the Port of San Francisco and Verdantas. Use of this historic marine science research center in Pacific Grove, California, is due to the generosity of Stanford University.
Presenters at this event include Fred Keeley, Mayor of the City of Santa Cruz, the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, the UC Berkeley Center for Ocean Futures, the Port of San Francisco Blue Economy Initiative, CeNCOOS, MBARI, Sunflower Star Laboratory, Monterey Bay Aquarium, FLEETWERX, Verdantas, and the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Fund.
The first in an annual series, this showcase features presentations from leading ocean research and commercial organizations in Northern California. If you’re on our mailing list, you’ll be receiving an invitation. If you’re free on Dec. 3, please mark your calendars!
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Bay Area Blue Economy Study with the Bay Area Council Economic Institute
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BAOC is delighted to announce a breakthrough on collection of vital data on the Bay Area Blue Economy. We’ve confirmed a joint effort with the Bay Area Council Economic Institute for a Bay Area Blue Economy Needs Assessment. The Economic Institute is the leading think tank focused on the most critical economic and policy issues facing the nine-county Bay Area region, one of the most dynamic regions in the United States and the world’s leading center for technology and innovation. The Blue Economy in the Bay Area, at present, is lacking vital data to guide funding, and economic development of this sector in our region. We’d like to thank the Bay Area Council Economic Institute for helping us pull together the resources needed to solve what the California Ocean Protection Council lists as a pressing issue in a report issued this year:
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“While the overall California coastal economy brings in $50 billion annually, significant data gaps exist regarding the specific economic impact, opportunities, and infrastructure needs of the Northern California (North Coast) region.”
- California Ocean Protection Council, 2026
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We estimate delivery of our joint Bay Area Blue Economy Needs Assessment in Q1 of this next year. Stay tuned!
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Introducing Our Consultancy Team from University of Redlands
Through a new collaborative agreement, University of Redlands and the Bay Area Ocean Cluster are launching a multi-faceted consultancy engagement this semester. Serving on the dedicated team are Camila Vega, Sarah Harwood, Cara Chinn, and Sarahi Romero‑Suarez. We extend our sincere thanks to Martina Doleshal, Adjunct Faculty in Strategy for Sustainability at Presidio Graduate School, for making this valuable opportunity possible.
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BlueTech Workforce Program™ completes Pilot Year
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With the help of MESA program director Frederick Moore at City College of San Francisco (CCSF), we placed student interns at Navier and at Dolphin Labs for the summer of 2026. End-of-summer presentations were given by interns in Alameda with representatives from participating companies in attendance. The consensus? Outstanding value was created for students and for these companies. If your company is interested in hosting qualified interns for summer 2027, we would love to connect.
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Marcos Ayala (left) and Belcim Altintas (right), from the BAOC BlueTech Workforce Program™
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New Partnership with the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust
BAOC has formed a brand partnership with the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust to magnify the visibility and lasting success of this important and well-led organization. The Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust increases community access to healthy, local, sustainably caught seafood while preserving an integral part of the economy, heritage, and biodiversity of Monterey Bay. They “partner with the fishing industry, local government, and conservation organizations to achieve a balance between a healthy ocean ecosystem and a healthy seafood economy.”
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Blue Economy Event at 9Zero
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BAOC is partnering with 9Zero in San Francisco on Nov. 11 from 5–7 pm to present “What’s Happening in the Bay Area Blue Economy." We’ll be hosting a panel of local blue economy professionals, keen observers, and change-makers. Meet and hear from the Port of SF, and from companies that are developing innovative products and services in the ocean space. The panel is moderated by Mike Blakeley, Chief Program Officer for BAOC. Mark your calendars! Stay tuned for details, and for registration details.
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About BAOC: Founded in 2024 as a Public Benefit Corporation, BAOC is part of a growing consortium of ocean clusters serving shoreline cities all across the United States. An ocean cluster is based on a powerful premise: that the public sector, the private sector, and academia can realize ambitious goals when working together, and that they need a connective organization (or “Cluster”) to facilitate collaboration.
Ethos: BAOC is committed to a workplace that represents and empowers our community. This commitment means economic and educational outreach to underserved communities, as well as considering how our decisions as an organization affect those communities. We’re active in showcasing environmental challenges, and devoted to promoting responsible solutions to these challenges
Our website: bayareaoc.com
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