REPORTS & PAPERS

Our Ocean Access Phase I report highlights how Californians experience and benefit from the ocean—and how these experiences differ across groups and demographics. Through community-engaged research—including interviews, focus groups, case studies, and more than 2,100 survey responses—we partnered with Tribal communities, fishers, and environmentally disadvantaged groups to understand barriers, values, and opportunities for ocean access across Central California. The findings point to ways that marine management, including the state’s MPA network, can better advance equity, support community wellbeing, and strengthen the next generation of ocean advocates and stewards.