Contact: Aaron Lambert
805-234-4644; [email protected]

SAN LUIS OBISPO — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) will move into the expanding Cal Poly Tech Park this fall.

NOAA is working on the designation of the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary (CHNMS). The proposed sanctuary (along with neighboring sanctuaries at Monterey Bay and Channel Islands) aims to enhance conservation efforts, promote cultural heritage and support marine research by fostering collaboration with academic and local communities.

The new office at Cal Poly will leverage the university’s academic resources, facilitating research and educational opportunities for faculty and students.

“Having NOAA’s office on Cal Poly’s campus will help to strengthen collaborations between our faculty and sanctuary staff and will provide fantastic opportunities for our students to engage in research and internships to advance marine science and policy in a real-world setting,” said Ben Ruttenberg, director of Cal Poly’s Center for Coastal Marine Sciences.

The partnership aligns with NOAA’s successful model of university-based locations, such as those at UC Santa Barbara, which hosts the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary office, and California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB), future home to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary office. These collaborations have significantly advanced marine conservation through academic expertise, research facilities and student engagement.

Earlier this year, Cal Poly broke ground on the second phase of its Technology Park expansion, a project aimed at providing additional space to engage with industry and university partners to support student success and meet local workforce and innovation needs, including more opportunity for student and faculty collaboration and partnership with the science, technology, engineering, mathematics and liberal studies (STEML) communities.

---

About NOAA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) aims to enrich life through science. From daily weather forecasts, severe storm warning and climate monitoring to fisheries management, coastal restoration and supporting marine commerce, NOAA’s products and services support economic vitality and affect more than one-third of America’s gross domestic product. Visit noaa.gov.

About Cal Poly
Founded in 1901 and part of the renowned California State University system since 1960, Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, four-year, comprehensive polytechnic public university located in San Luis Obispo, California. Known for its Learn by Doing approach, small class sizes and open access to expert faculty, Cal Poly is a distinctive learning community whose 22,000 academically motivated students enjoy an unrivaled hands-on educational experience that prepares them to lead successful personal and professional lives.