Mission
- The mission of the Coastal California Research Consortium is to encourage and conduct research on species, ecosystems, and processes within the coastal zone of California, recognizing the particularly rich biotic communities and the special environmental attributes of this geographic area. This mission will be served through:
- Aggressively pursuing collaborative research opportunities, particularly multidisciplinary efforts, both within the group as well as with external collaborators;
- Providing opportunities for scientists with interests and expertise in some field of science related to coastal California to exchange information and discuss potential research collaborations;
- Nurturing connections with management, regulatory, policy-making, and educational agencies and organizations such that the available scientific literature is better incorporated into coastal zone decisions; and
- Increasing the profile of the natural environment of coastal California, such that its diversity, value, and vulnerability are better understood and appreciated.
The coastal zone, for the purposes of the Coastal California Research Consortium, is roughly defined by the fogbelt formed in this mediterranean climate, at the marine-terrestrial interface. Many native and endemic California species are restricted to or largely defined by the climatic, edaphic, or other environmental conditions and natural disturbances of this zone. For our purposes, the coastal zone is generally larger than that area defined as the 'coastal zone' by the California CoastalAct of 1976 (California Public Resources Code, Division 20) as the latter is not purely informed by natural characteristics.