Funded Research
Nearshore Ocean and Coastal Research
Over the last two years, Oregon's Ocean Science Trust dispersed $1,000,000 to six grant recipients prioritizing strategic research, monitoring, and communications to address nearshore ocean and coastal research.
Funding originated when the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 5202 in 2022, to provide $1,000,000 for science and monitoring on nearshore keystone species, including sea otters, nearshore marine ecosystems, kelp and eelgrass habitat, and sequestration of blue carbon. The Oregon Ocean Science Trust (OOST) began a competitive grant process to fund strategic research to inform status and changes in Oregon's nearshore ecosystems.​
Why are nearshore ecosystems important?
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Oregon's nearshore includes coastal and marine areas that extend from the shore to three nautical miles offshore and include habitats such as rocky and sandy shores and estuaries. Nearshore ecosystems are among the most diverse and productive systems on Earth. The nearshore provides many benefits, from producing nurseries for commercial and recreational fish and shellfish, to providing opportunities for recreation and sightseeing.
There are growing pressures on Oregon's nearshore resources as human populations grow and climate change stressors affect species and habitats. Understanding how the nearshore functions, the abundance and distribution of species and habitats, and how these resources are responding to climate change, can inform strategies that lessen the effects of human activities on nearshore habitats and species.
​The following nearshore data collection, data modeling, and data portal assessment projects were funded by the Oregon Ocean Science Trust:
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Grant Progress Reports