SCCWRP is a regional aquatic science research agency with national impact. Learn more about the agency’s broad research portfolio and how it shapes development of informed water-quality management strategy. More »
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Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia
Researchers are documenting how corrosive coastal ocean conditions and low dissolved oxygen levels threaten the health of marine food webs.
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Bioanalytical Cell Screening Assays
Researchers are investigating how to adapt cell bioassays as a cost-effective screening tool to improve monitoring of bioactive chemical contaminants in aquatic systems.
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Harmful Algal Blooms
SCCWRP and its research partners are examining how to mitigate the proliferation of ecologically disruptive blooms in aquatic systems that threaten the health of wildlife and humans.

The Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP) is an aquatic sciences research institute that works to improve management of aquatic systems in Southern California and beyond. Since its founding as an intergovernmental public agency in 1969, SCCWRP has been developing strategies, tools and technologies that the region’s water-quality management community relies on to more effectively protect and enhance the ecological health of Southern California’s coastal ocean and the watersheds that drain to it. As an R&D agency, SCCWRP’s reputation is built on conducting research and translating this science into actionable guidance and recommendations that inform management decision-making and policy development.
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SMC study suggests not all strategies to protect health of erosion-prone streams created equal
Pilot study incorporates eDNA identification methods into routine stream monitoring
Study shows acidification triggering adverse biological impacts in Dungeness crab larvae
Wastewater being used to track COVID-19 infections
Management Connections
SCCWRP is neither an academic research institution nor environmental consulting firm. Learn how the agency meets the R&D needs and priorities of Southern California’s water-quality management community. More »
Scientific Publications
SCCWRP has collaborated with nearly 200 organizations on peer-reviewed journal articles in recent years. Explore the institutional affiliations of all of SCCWRP’s recent co-authors. More »
Scientific Leadership
SCCWRP scientific staff hold more than 100 leadership roles with professional scientific societies, advisory committees and peer-reviewed journals. Learn more about how SCCWRP engages with the broader scientific community. More »