From Research to the Real World Workshop

In this half-day, virtual workshop on January 22, 2024, USC Sea Grant and the California Ocean Protection Council convened members of the California research community, NGOs, as well as local, state, and federal agency leads to consider new scientific information from USC Sea Grant-funded research, discussed how that information can be used for management needs, and scoped best practices to improve future research-to application processes for Southern California Urban Ocean challenges.

USC Sea Grant invests in and partners with research that has real-world impacts on communities, ecosystem health, and local management decisions. Although there is no one-size-fits-all “recipe” to ensure effective research-to-application, this document provides a high-level perspective on thoughtfully setting up a research project for successful implementation. This living document aims to be a helpful guide to potential applicants for USC Sea Grant funding opportunities. The research-to-application best practices described in this report were cultivated from discussions at the 2024 virtual workshop, ”From Research to the Real World: USC Sea Grant’s Unique Contribution to Science and Decision Making,” as well as contributions from USC Sea Grant leadership and research coordination and extension teams.

View the Best Practices for “Research to Application” Report

1. Convene the California research community, decision-makers, non-governmental organizations, and educators to consider new scientific information from USC Sea Grant-funded research and directly consider how that information can be used for management needs,
2. Outline “best practices” in the research-to-application process for urban ocean issues in Southern California – how research needs can be identified and what mechanisms are most productive for exchanging information on needs and research results. 

• 1:00-1:05 pm Welcome remarks from the Ocean Protection Council 
  • Kaitlyn Kalua, J.D., Deputy Director, Ocean Protection Council
• 1:05- 1:15 pm What is USC Sea Grant & what research do we fund? 
  • Prof. Karla Heidelberg, Director, USC Sea Grant
• 1:15 -2:15 pm Panel 1: Advancing Water Quality Science From Watersheds to Coastlines 
  • (Moderator) Kaitlyn Kalua, J.D., Deputy Director, Ocean Protection Council
  • Dr. Jayme Smith,  Senior Scientist, Southern California Coastal Water Research Program, “First documentation of multiple cyanobacterial toxins on the West Coast” (USC Sea Grant funded, 2016-2019).
  • Prof. Jennifer Jay, University of California Los Angeles, “The ocean is an important source of transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria to humans.” (USC Sea Grant funded, 2018-2022; 2022-ongoing)
  • Prof. Karen Shapiro, University of California Davis, “Interaction between microplastics and pathogen pollutants in marine ecosystems: Implications for seafood safety” (OPC Prop 84/USC Sea Grant-funded, 2018-2021)
  • Dr. Holly Bowers, Research Faculty, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, “Advancing portable detection capabilities of harmful algal bloom species in California waters” (OPC Prop 84/USC Sea Grant-funded, 2018-2021)
• 2:15- 2:30 Panel 1 Q&A
• 2:30-3:15 Panel 2: Building Coastal Resilience 
  • (Moderator) Karina Alvarez, M.S., USC Sea Grant, Science, Research & Policy Specialist, USC Sea Grant
  • Dr. Patrick Barnard, Research Geologist, United States Geological Survey, “Groundwater Guide: Enabling Californians to understand groundwater inundation hazards”  (OPC/Sea Grant funded 2018-2022)
  • Dr. Adam Young, Coastal Geomorphologist, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, “First study to track beach cobbles and their influence on beach stability.” 
  • Prof. Ian Walker, University of California Santa Barbara, “Sea level rise threatens the longest barrier system in California”. (OPC/Sea Grant funded, 2018-2022)
• 3:15-3:30 Panel 2 Q&A  
• 3:30-4:15 pm Panel 3: Best practices for bringing Research to Application
  • (Moderator) Dr. Amalia Almada, Science, Research & Policy Specialist, USC Sea Grant
  • Kaitlyn Kalua, J.D., Deputy Director, Ocean Protection Council 
  • Dr. Wesley Smith, Senior Environmental Toxicologist, OEHHA/CalEPA
  • Dr. Douglas George, National Estuarine Research Reserve System Science Collaborative Program Manager, NOAA Office for Coastal Management
  • Dr. Megan Hall, Senior Environmental Scientist, Mitigation Specialist, California Coastal Commission
• 4:15-4:30 Panel 3 Q&A 
• 4:30 Adjourn