“What does an Ocean Cluster do?”
Many of America’s coastal cities have an Ocean Cluster, but the Bay Area has not, until recently. We were founded in 2024.
Do we champion the interests of ocean-related businesses? Are we an event producer? Do we initiate workforce development, internships, and direct interns to ocean careers? Are we wonky, data-driven people? Are we, in any way, an environmental organization?
Because an Ocean Cluster pulls together many factions, the answer to all of these questions is “yes.”
Collaboration: more than just a nice option
If we seem to be wonky, data-driven people, there’s truth to that. This is an important aspect of BAOC because we need to understand the Bay Area economy — those working on our shoreline, in and on the ocean — in an unusually rigorous and detailed way. Our Needs Assessment (underway now, in 2026, with partner organizations) is a vital step in understanding the state of our Bay Area Blue Economy, what its needs are, and facilitating the case for regional support.
If we are an event producer (and we are) it is because we are bringing our community together: founders, investors, students, environmentalists, researchers, city officials, and policymakers.
If we are initiating workforce development and internships (we are) it is because many of tomorrow’s good jobs are ocean careers.
If you notice that we are in support of environmentalism and steering away from climate change (we are) it is not because we are in competition with the California Coastal Commission, or San Francisco Baykeeper, or the REAP Ecology Center, or ClimateWorks, or the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We support the work of environmental and sustainability-centered organizations because we believe in taking care of our planet, and our oceans, and we recognize it is going to take an ambitious, well-funded, coordinated effort to do so.
Unifying Solutions
We are living through a time that is exceptionally factional and confrontational. While it’s important to acknowledge that there are differences of opinion, and not everything can be settled amicably, I am proud to be serving an organization that is dedicated to finding unifying solutions, swimming among the multitude of brilliantly run and very effective organizations that make up this Bay Area Blue Economy.
Thank you for reading through, and thank you for your support!
Clark Suprynowicz · Executive Director · Bay Area Ocean Cluster
Sept. 6, 2026
If you look at our programs, you’ll see that we are uniting areas of ocean-related activity. We are building collaborative opportunities, so that the work of constituent organizations & companies will have more impact — and can more fully succeed. This is what all our programming has in common. Looked at this way, our “many things” become one thing.
Another answer to “What does an Ocean Cluster do?” has to do with our values. These center on our belief in collaboration, in joined efforts, as central to the success of a complex, interdependent ecosystem — the Bay Area Blue Economy.