Program

5:30 - 7:45 PM - Welcome reception and facilitated networking with Oregon Coastal leaders.

Facilitated Networking: Interact with some of the organizations working in coastal Oregon and learn more about their projects and how you can stay engaged.  Each entity will have a station, where attendees can meet and interact with them.   

Participating organizations: OSU/Hatfield Marine Science Center (Lisa Ballance); International Port of Coos Bay (Lanelle Comstock); OIMB (Amy Moran, Maya Watts); South Slough (Patricia Fox); League of Women Voters (Christine Moffit); Coos Watershed Association (Haley Lutz); Port of Port Orford (Catherine Scobby); Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (Eric Anderson, Katie Darr, Maria Zapetis); Pacific Estuarine Research Society 

Performance: Sounds of Restoration: Combining Science and Art 

In 2024, Tim Bulster of the band Tiller of the Moon joined Alice Yeates of South Slough Reserve and other staff and partners in their journey to restore the Wasson Creek Watershed. His year of field experiences culminated in an album about South Slough. Join Alice and Tim to experience the restoration of a coastal watershed through music, lyrics, and images as they share their unique perspectives on this collaboration.

Plenary Panel: Working Landscapes: Developments and Investments on Oregon’s South Coast
Oregon’s South Coast is a natural-resource rich area that balances both development and the environment. This panel will share some of the key recent and proposed large projects (development, infrastructure, restoration), as well as some of the considerations and concerns balancing these projects from the economic, environmental, and community angles.  

• Moderator: Jamie Doyle, Oregon Sea Grant
• Panelists:
  • Lanelle Comstock, International Port of Coos Bay
  • Patricia Fox, South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 
  • Haley Lutz, Coos Watershed Association
  • Catherine Scobby, Port of Port Orford
  • John Sweet, Coos County Commissioner

We will share the impacts of a collaboration between OSU researchers, ORSG, and community groups which leveraged funds from the Oregon Maritime Workforce Initiative to prevent injuries and deaths in commercial fishing.

Between October 2024-May 2025, the team gave 582 lifejackets to commercial fishermen on 312 vessels during 13 events in Oregon and Washington, enrolled 489 fishermen in the FLIPP for Lifejackets research, trained over 96 fishermen in FFAST and Drill Conducting in 8 ports, tested 172 survival suits, replaced 115 that were outdated or compromised, and provided 84 industrial athlete nutrition-based meal kits.

'Coastal Futures' is an ongoing research effort that focuses on climate change adaptation strategies for small coastal communities in Oregon, with Rockaway Beach being the first case study for a methodology to engage with local organizations along the Oregon Coast.

This talk will serve as an introduction to the Oregon Ocean Alliance and provide an overview of the history, mission, and ongoing work of the group.

An overview of Oregon’s most lucrative fishery, the Dungeness Crab. As crabbers prepare for the 2025-2026 season, learn what goes into the management of this important fishery.

In 2025, Lincoln City replaced a longstanding 4th of July fireworks show over Siletz Bay and the wildlife refuge with an environmentally sustainable illuminated drone show.

House Bill 4080 in the 2024 Legislature tasked DLCD with leading an Offshore Wind Energy Roadmap that, “defines standards to be considered in the processes related to offshore wind energy development and approval.” The Roadmap development process began in November 2024 and is planned to be completed in mid-2026. This talk will provide an update on where we are with offshore wind in Oregon currently, what’s happening at the federal level around offshore wind, an outline of the Roadmap process, and some early insights from the discussions so far. The talk will also outline opportunities for public involvement in shaping the Roadmap over the coming months.

Produced by 2024–2025 Oregon Sea Grant Natural Resource Policy Fellow with the Surfrider Foundation, Dr. Sarah Wolf, this short film highlights a collaboration between Surfrider Foundation, Oregon Oyster Farms, and Oregon Sea Grant to address plastic pollution in Yaquina Bay. Featuring oyster farmers, scientists, and community volunteers, it demonstrates how industry and community partnerships can drive solutions, build trust, and strengthen social license to operate.

Tom Calvanese, ORKA; Jon Bonkoski, Ecotrust; Aaron Ashdown, Commercial Fisherman, F/V Misty; Cara Monson, Coquille Indian Tribe; Jeff Griffin, Port of Bandon; Shelley Estes, The Coquille Indian Tribe

Oregon’s kelp forests are facing unprecedented threats, driven by the dramatic decline of sunflower sea stars and the resulting proliferation of purple sea urchins that devastate kelp forests, replacing them with urchin barrens. This panel convenes South Coast stakeholders to explore collaborative strategies for restorative mariculture and conservation harvest designed to rebuild marine ecosystems and support coastal economies.

The session, led by Tom Calvanese, Director of the Oregon Kelp Alliance, includes:

• Cara Monson, Tribal Resilience Specialist for the Coquille Indian Tribe, sharing tribal perspectives on urchin harvest for food and habitat restoration.
• Jon Bonkoski, VP of Coastal Communities & Fisheries for Ecotrust, providing a report out from the Mariculture Futures Forum.
• Aaron Ashdown, Port Orford commercial fisherman, discussing collaborative efforts, seasonal income diversification, and improved fish habitat.
• Jeff Griffin, Pacific dulse and purple sea urchin grower from the Port of Bandon, presenting innovative Pacific dulse and purple sea urchin co-culture systems.
• Shelley Estes, Tribal Council Representative #1 for the Coquille Indian Tribe, speaking about the Coquille Indian Tribe's history with kelp forests, traditional foods, including abalone, her work on their Climate Resilience Task Force, and interest in kelp forest stewardship and restoration efforts.

The panel opens with two timely updates: 

• New research findings on the cause of sea star wasting disease. 
• A brief report out from the Mariculture Future Forum, held just prior to State of the Coast.

Discussion topics include navigating permitting processes, building cross-sector partnerships, developing sustainable mariculture and conservation harvest practices, and addressing community concerns. The session emphasizes practical restoration techniques, business models, and the potential for kelp mariculture and urchin conservation harvest to deliver ecological and economic benefits for Oregon’s coastal communities.
Attendees will gain insights into current efforts, lessons from early adopters, and pathways for community engagement in restorative mariculture initiatives. 

Keith Van Norman, OSU/artist; Dr. Leigh Torres, OSU; Dr. Anna Guasco, OSU; Chanel Hason, Elakha Alliance

In 2024, the "Rhapsody in Gray" project was created to communicate about the scientific and cultural significance of gray whale conservation and coastal environmental conservation to the general public.  The project features a large-format woodblock print and interactive Augmented Reality experience with videos that feature marine scientists, conservationists, a historian and members of the Coquille Indian Tribe. Original music from the videos was composed by by Joshua Phillips, who was inspired by gray whale vocalizations.

The print was created from a single sheet of plywood featuring a five-foot wide silhouette of a gray whale, the iconic resident of Oregon’s coastal waters. The images within the silhouette highlight coastal ecosystems, how they function, and the biodiversity of the reef ecology. The “ghost area” around the whale includes some of the historical objects and events from the area. These are the things that constantly haunt and lurk in the periphery, shaping not only the history but the future of the Oregon coast: commercial whaling, fur trapping, whale products, traditional whale harvests, etc. 

Learn more about the project.

The presenters at this break-out session panel discussion are a selection of the subject matter experts featured in the project's Augmented Reality experience videos. They will discuss the importance of communicating about the scientific/cultural significance of gray whale conservation and coastal environmental conservation to the general public and also discuss specific details in the print that focus on panelists' areas of expertise.

Haley Lutz, Coos Watershed Association; Allison Tarbox, Coos Watershed Association; Meagan Abele, Coos Watershed Association; Anna Pfeifer, Coquille Watershed Association’ Julie Huff, Coquille Watershed Association; Caley Sowers, Coos Soil and Water Conservation District

With over 900 tide gates on the Oregon Coast the challenges and opportunities surrounding these pieces of key infrastructure are vital for aquatic species and coastal economies. Come learn about what a tide gate is, how it impacts fish and people and recent innovations around design, function and monitoring of these gates - and the aquatic species that depend on swimming through them for survival. This talk will highlight a few recently constructed tide gates in Coos County and dive into the extensive monitoring being conducted to determine exactly how salmonids are interacting with these pieces of infrastructure throughout their life histories. Additionally, speakers will delve into what the data is showing in regards to how the tide is moving through these landscapes,  what that looks like for upstream landowners and how proper functioning is essential for community safety and healthy economies.

Hilary Boudet, OSU; Shawn Hazboun, OSU; Julia Bingham, OSU; Greg Stelmach, OSU; Emily Miller, OSU

Energy development projects can bring both opportunities and challenges to local host communities. On one hand, new infrastructure can provide jobs, investment in local services, and funding for community needs. On the other, large-scale projects may also affect existing industries, change treasured landscapes and ecosystems, and raise concerns about fairness and local participation in decision making. The push for offshore wind development under the Biden Administration illustrates these dynamics well. In several regions of the U.S., federal leasing processes sparked both excitement about clean energy and economic development and strong pushback from local residents, fishers, and tribes concerned about environmental, cultural and economic impacts. One potential mechanism for addressing public concerns is the negotiation of local benefit arrangements, which were encouraged under the Biden Administration and are now required in some states. We will review the various forms of local benefits agreements that took shape around offshore wind siting in the U.S., including their size and composition. We will also share insights from interviews with local community members and offshore wind developers on how they approached benefit negotiations, as well as their future preferences. Preliminary results from community surveys soliciting views and preferences about energy development and local benefits in California, Oregon, Maine and Washington will also be shared. Findings emphasize the mismatched expectations between community members, leaders, and developers surrounding local benefit agreements, as well as the critical role played by non-profit organizations in enhancing transparency, ensuring equitable representation, and providing technical and legal support to communities experiencing energy development.

Shon Schooler, SSNERR; Sylvia Yamada, OSU; Kyle Swanson, PSU; Isabel Mize, PSU; Elizabeth Diehl, OIMB; Brandon Linsdey, OSU; Cat de Rivera, PSU; Eric Anderson, ODFW

Carcinus maenas, the 5-spine green crab, is an invasive species known for its fan-shaped shell with five spines on either side of the eyes. Native to Europe, it has become a widespread threat to native shellfish, estuarine habitats, and food webs in various parts of the world including the Pacific coast of North America. It is a prolific predator that consumes clams, oysters, and other crabs, and its feeding and burrowing activities can damage important fish nursery habitats like eelgrass beds. In this session we explore the distribution, spread, impacts, and management of the 5-spine crab in a series of short 5-minute presentations. Local researchers, natural resource managers, and graduate students will present their recent work studying the 5-spine green crab invasion along the Oregon Coast. Topics include crab distribution through space and time; larval sources; effects on Dungeness crabs, Pacific oysters, herring eggs, eelgrass, clams, and food webs; and methods for management.  The session will conclude with a moderated discussion with questions from the audience.

Alessandra Burgos, OSU; Jenna Tilt,OSU; Josh Blockstein, OSU; Andrea Mah, OSU; and Felicia Olmeta Schult, OSU/Oregon Sea Grant

Resilience to coastal hazards—like tsunamis, landslides, and floods—requires public information tools that are clear, inclusive, and grounded in local knowledge. Ongoing efforts seek to proactively prepare residents and visitors for the impact of a Cascadia earthquake and tsunami, more frequent wildfires, and chronic hazards like flooding and erosion. Research funded by Oregon Sea Grant and the Cascadia CoPes Hub are supporting collaboration with community partners to support resilience efforts. This session explores how creative community engagement approaches can strengthen coastal resilience and help diverse residents prepare for emergencies.

We will provide an overview of asset-based and mapping approaches to advance community resilience to natural hazards. Instead of focusing on vulnerabilities, this work emphasizes existing community strengths to enhance resilience. These participatory approaches rely on community members identifying the people, places, organizations, networks, resources, and services that they see as assets in their community.

Participants will take part in two hands-on activities: 1) one method of asset identification and 2) how to use newly designed multi-hazard evacuation map prototypes. Together, we’ll explore how map design choices and asset identification affect usability, trust, and preparedness. These lessons are relevant to organizations and researchers working across all fields who wish to better engage with and support communities in building resilience to natural hazards.

Elizabeth Roberts, Marine Debris 911 and Rachel Freeman, Oregon Shores

Join Oregon Shores and marine-debris artist Elizabeth Roberts for an interactive, immersive breakout session that blends environmental storytelling with creative action. Attendees will be invited into a dynamic journey, from winter beach cleanups to collaborative art, highlighting how coastal restoration and creativity unite to build environmental awareness and stewardship. What you'll experience: slideshow narrative about winter coastal cleanups in Oregon Dunes Recreation Area (20 min), interactive marine debris collage or community mural (40 min), reflection and action facilitated group dialogue discussing the real-world impact of debris art on public awareness and sustainable behaviors (15 min).

Maria Zapetis; ODFW; Scott Marion, ODFW; Will White, OSU; Danny Pimentel, UO;  Sarah Klain, UO

Under the new Nearshore Ecology Program, collaborative research efforts are helping the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) build a greater understanding of both the ecological communities of Oregon’s nearshore environment and the human communities connected to the marine reserves. This session provides a snapshot of the interdisciplinary approach to marine conservation and nearshore habitat research led by the Program’s Marine Reserves and Marine Habitat teams alongside collaborators. Moderated by Dr. Maria Zapetis, the Nearshore Ecology Program lead, this session includes four lightning talks that will be interspersed with marine reserves Bingo, trivia, and Q&A with scientists and collaborators. Talks include:

• Scott Marion, A Birdseye View of Kelp Distribution along the Oregon Coast
• Will White,  Understanding kelp-urchin interactions in a warming ocean – and how to manage them – using population models
• Danny Pimentel, Deep Dive into Otter Rock Marine Reserve Augmented Reality (AR) Experience
• Sarah Klain, Shell Yeah! Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve Economic Contributions

Ali Helms, SSNERR; Jenni Schmitt, South Slough NERR; Olivia Boisen, OSU; Jennifer Kirkland, South Slough NERR

Oregon has experienced a high rate of tidal wetland loss since historic times, including forested tidal swamps, salt marshes and eelgrass beds. In the past decades, estuarine restoration has been growing to reverse negative ecosystem impacts of these losses. Through use of monitoring techniques, we can quantify effects of restoration projects. This session will examine what monitoring can tell us about restored coastal wetlands and dive into different techniques to understand evolution of restoration projects. Panelists will discuss lessons learned from the most historically restored marsh sites, results from recent monitoring efforts of restored eelgrass beds, and how newer tools like drones can augment traditional monitoring techniques.

Capnote: Presentation about Oregon's mini boat projects

Kama Almasi, Oregon Coast STEM Hub; Christina Geierman, North Bend High School Teacher; Jaime Belanger, South Slough NERR; Trish Mace, UO’s Charleston Marine Life Center; Malia Mosley, North Bend High School Student

Student Awards: Student research posters will be judged by a select participants on their science communication skills, and student artists will be evaluated by our partner artists. Awards will be presented to the winners, and each group will also be awarded a "People's Choice" award that all participants are invited to vote on.