The Humboldt Bay Symposium is convened every two years to provide the public an opportunity to hear directly from experts about the latest developments on a variety of timely topics related to Humboldt Bay including: scientific research, ecological restoration, sustainable use of natural resources, recreational facilities, and maritime infrastructure and industry.

2024 HUMBOLDT BAY SYMPOSIUM

April 11-13, 2024 at the Sequoia Conference Center, Eureka, CA

Humboldt Bay in Transition: Navigating Change and Growth

Tickets can be purchased through eventbright HERE by individual day or at a discount for all 3 days (choose 3-day ticket). Student discount tickets are also available with valid student ID.

Drawing of Humboldt Bay features and wildlife

2024 Program Schedule (PDF)

Thursday April 11, 2024 1:00 PM Conference welcome 1:15 PM Keynote Address: “Winds of Change” Troy Nicolini, NOAA’s National Weather Service Session One: Climate Change & Climate Equity Organizer: Kristen Orth-Gordinier, GHD 1:45 PM Eelgrass is an Early Indicator of Changing Conditions in the Humboldt Bay and Eel River Estuaries Whelan Gilkerson, Merkel & Associates 2:00 PM Climate and our Coastal Ocean: Insights from 16 years of Observations Along the Trinidad Head Line Eric Bjorkstedt, NOAA-SWFSC & Cal Poly Humboldt 2:15 PM Improving Climate Resilience in North Coast Tribal Fisheries Michelle Schuiteman, Cal Poly Humboldt 2:30 PM A First Look at Humboldt Bay Salinity, Temperature and Circulation Response to Global Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Jeff Anderson, Northern Hydrology & Engineering 2:45 PM Questions 3:00 PM BREAK 3:15 PM Panel: Climate Equity Moderators: Nayre Herrara & Laurie Richmond, Cal Poly Humboldt Nayre Herrera, Cal Poly Humboldt Bill Matsubu, Blue Lake Rancheria Kiya Bibby, California Ocean Science Trust Megan Acevedo, County of Humboldt Hank Seeman, County of Humboldt Public Works Laurie Richmond, Cal Poly Humboldt SLRI & Sea Grant Adam Canter, Wiyot Tribe 3:45 PM Panel discussion & questions 4:30 – 6:30 PM Poster Session & Mixer

Friday April 12, 2024 Session Two: Sea Level Rise Organizer: Kristen Orth-Gordinier, GHD 9:00 AM Welcome & Introduction to the Cal Poly Humboldt Sea Level Rise Institute Laurie Richmond, Cal Poly Humboldt SLRI Adam Canter, Wiyot Tribe & SLRI 9:10 AM Future Coastal Flood, Shoreline Change, and Groundwater Hazards Modeling with CoSMoS in Humboldt County Andrea O’Neill & Maya Hayden, U.S. Geological Survey - Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center 9:25 AM A Scenario-Based GIS and Hydrodynamic Modeling Approach to Improve our Understanding of SLR and Incremental Adaptation Brett Vivyan, GHD 9:40 AM Progress with Consent-based Siting: Community Engagement, Federal Consolidated Interim Storage, and Humboldt Bay Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Vincent Ialenti, U.S. Department of Energy 10:10 AM BREAK 10:25 AM Caltrans Update on Sea Level Rise Planning along the 101 Lorna McFarlane, California Department of Transportation District 1 10:35 AM Sea Level Rise Adaptation and the Humboldt Bay Trail Hank Seemann, County of Humboldt Public Works 10:45 AM Natural Shoreline Infrastructure: Adapting to the Future with Innovative Approaches in Nature Based Flood Resiliency along a Vulnerable Shoreline of Humboldt Bay Between Eureka and Arcata Jeremy Svehla, GHD 10:55 AM Questions 11:10 AM Development of Humboldt Bay Shoreline Adaptation Atlas to Inform Equitable Nature-based Climate Adaptation Bill Matsubu, Blue Lake Rancheria 11:30 AM Public Input: 5th California Climate Assessment Report - North Coast Regional Climate Vulnerabilities, Resilience, and Needs Rosemary Sherriff & Andrew Stubblefield, Cal Poly Humboldt 12:00 AM LUNCH Session Three: Ecology & Restoration Organizers: Emily King Teraoka, Stillwater Sciences & Bernadette Clueit, ICF 1:00 PM Wiyot Tribe and BLM: Enhancing and Reconnecting Forestry and Fisheries in Hiksha’ri (Elk River) Zach Erickson & Marisa McGrew, Wiyot Tribe Zane Ruddy, Marissa Vossmer, & David Hammons, BLM 1:20 PM Ecology of Recovery: Research and Monitoring Floodplain Habitat Restoration for Threatened Coho Salmon Josh Cahill & Kate Stonecypher, Cal Poly Humboldt 1:40 PM Restoration Project Updates Katie Marsolan, City of Eureka Public Works Outcomes/Highlights of the Elk River Estuary Enhancement Project Ross Taylor, Ross Taylor & Associates Biological Monitoring of the Martin Slough Enhancement Project Andrea Pickart, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Dune Restoration at Wadulh Unit, Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge James Ray, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Ocean Ranch Restoration Project 2:20 PM BREAK 2:40 PM The Future of Tidal Marsh Restoration in Humboldt Bay: It’s Dirty Work Conor Shea, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 3:00 PM Habitat and Soil Carbon Development in a Restored Tidal Wetland - White Slough Tidal Wetland Restoration Project Karen Thorne & Jenny Curtis, U.S. Geological Survey 3:20 PM Ecological Enhancement Through Instream Flow Dedication (Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District) Michelle Fuller & Sheri Woo, Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District 3:40 PM Consideration to Reintroduce Sea Otters to Northern California and Oregon Matt Parker, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 3:50 PM Pacific Marine and Estuarine Fish Habitat Partnership - Promoting Effective Estuary Restoration in Humboldt Bay and Beyond Bill Pinnix, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 4:10 PM Harmonic Analysis of Currents within Humboldt Bay Tamara Barriquand, Cal Poly Humboldt

Saturday April 13, 2024 Session Four: Fisheries & Aquaculture Organizers: Carolyn Belak, H. T. Harvey & Associates 9:00 AM Welcome 9:10 AM Seaweed Farming in California: Restoration, Remediation & Regenerative Food Systems Leslie Booher, Sunken Seaweed 9:25 AM Seaweed and Finfish Co-culture Torre Polizzi, Sunken Seaweed 9:40 AM Humboldt Bay: The Nexus of California Shellfish Aquaculture Justin Mojonnier, Hog Island Oyster Company 9:55 AM The Intersection of Low-Trophic Aquaculture, Conservation, and Social-Justice Nathan Churches, Holdfast Aquaculture & Santa Monica College 10:05 AM BREAK 10:20 AM Nordic Aquafarms Scott Thompson, Nordic Aquafarms 10:35 AM Dynamic Fluctuations in Fish Communities of Humboldt Bay: A Seasonal Analysis Using Environmental DNA (eDNA) Metabarcoding Johnathon Richardson, Cal Poly Humboldt 10:50 AM Night Smelt (Spirinchus starksi) Populations have Decreased Significantly in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties in the Last Decade Z Zenobia, Cal Poly Humboldt 11:05 AM Offshore Wind Development and Alien Invasive Species Risks - What Do We Know? Cyndi Dawson, California Department of Fish & Wildlife Session Five: Offshore Wind & Port Development Organizer: Jen Kalt, Humboldt Waterkeeper & Adam Wagshal, Moffatt & Nichol 11:25 AM Observing Ecosystem Change in Northern California to Support Offshore Wind and Expand the Blue Economy Alex Harper, Central & Northern CA Ocean Observing System CeNCOOS 11:40 AM Offshore Wind, Climate Goals, and Transmission Infrastructure Arne Jacobsen, Schatz Energy Research Center 12:00 PM LUNCH 1:00 PM Entanglement and Offshore Floating Wind Energy: What do we know? Ben Pridonoff, Schatz Energy Research Center 1:15 PM Two Novel Approaches Generate Insight Into Seabird Interactions with Planned Floating Offshore Wind Facilities along the U.S. West Coast Stephanie Schneider, H. T. Harvey & Associates 1:30 PM Humboldt Bay Harbor Seals and Potential Impacts of Offshore Wind Development Dawn Goley, Cal Poly Humboldt 1:45 PM Questions 2:00 PM Panel: Considerations for Offshore Wind in Humboldt County: A Conversation with Developers Erik Peckar, Vineyard Offshore Ciary Emery, RWE 2:20 PM Panel: Tribal Perspectives Marnie Atkins, Wiyot Tribe Heidi Moore-Guynup, Blue Lake Rancheria 2:40 PM BREAK 3:00 PM Humboldt Bay Harbor Offshore Wind Energy Planning Adam Wagschal, Moffatt & Nichol 3:10 PM Project Update: Humboldt Bay Heavy Lift Offshore Wind Marine Terminal & Green Terminal Strategy Rob Holmlund, Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District 3:20 PM Sedimentation and Dredging in Five West Coast Estuaries: Humboldt, Crescent City, Coos Bay, Grays Harbor, Willapa Younes Nouri, Moffatt & Nichol 3:30 PM Questions 3:45 PM Closing remarks Troy Nicolini, NOAA’s National Weather Service

 

Logos from the many sponsors of this year's symposium.

If you wish to provide a monetary donation to support the Symposium and CEINC activities, please send your check via mail to: Coastal Ecosystems Institute of Northern California, P.O. Box 806, Bayside, CA 95524, or visit the Support Us page.

 

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