ACCESS Oceans

ACCESS Oceans Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from ACCESS Oceans, Nonprofit Organization, Petaluma, CA.

Applied California Current Ecosystem Studies (ACCESS) is a public-private partnership that collects ocean data to support marine management in north-central California (This page is operated by Point Blue Conservation Science). ACCESS (Applied California Current Ecosystem Studies) is a partnership between Point Blue Conservation Science, Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuar

ies. The collaboration has been conducting at sea surveys since 2004 to collect data to assess oceanographic processes and mid and high trophic level marine organisms off central California. We conduct 3-5 cruises each year to understand what drives changes in the abundance and distribution of seabirds and whales, and study oceanography and prey distribution within the Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries which affects the seabirds and whales. We collaborate with other researchers and organizations including San Francisco State University, University of California Davis/Bodega Marine Lab, California Department of Public Health, NOAA Fisheries and more. Data collected during ACCESS surveys provides information about the status and trends of physical and biological climate change indicators in the region and is used to inform management decisions in support of conserving ocean life.

The 76th cruise of Applied California Current Ecosystem Studies (ACCESS) has wrapped up aboard the NOAA ShipBell M. Shim...
05/14/2026

The 76th cruise of Applied California Current Ecosystem Studies (ACCESS) has wrapped up aboard the NOAA Ship
Bell M. Shimada.

For two weeks at sea, sanctuary scientists worked alongside partners from Point Blue Conservation Science and Greater Farallones Association to collect ecosystem data throughout Greater Farallones, Cordell Bank, and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries.

ACCESS data help assess whale entanglement and ship strike risk, identify important seabird foraging hotspots, evaluate management measures, and monitor overall ecosystem health. The program also partners with UC Davis and MBARI to investigate ocean acidification and environmental DNA (eDNA).

For only the second time since 2005, the ACCESS team sampled the northernmost portion of Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. The region was alive with wildlife: foraging seabirds, humpback whales, Dall’s porpoise, harbor porpoise, and superpods of northern right whale
dolphins and Pacific white-sided dolphins. The team also encountered storm-petrels, albatross, and two pods of killer whales. One pod appeared to be actively foraging on fish and may have included an endangered population of killer whales for which these sanctuaries
provide critical habitat. Unfortunately, the whales were too distant to photograph for positive identification.

Most net tows contained abundant krill, an encouraging indicator of a productive and healthy ecosystem.

After 22 seasons, ACCESS continues to provide the long-term data needed to understand a changing ocean and support the protection of some of the most biologically rich waters on the West Coast.









📷For the love of
science!
Photo credits: NOAA/Point
Blue/ACCESS, L. Krigsman

📷Data recording -
very important work.
Photo credits: NOAA/Point
Blue/ACCESS, J. Roletto

📷Humpback whale calf,
breaching.
Photo credits: NOAA/Point
Blue/ACCESS, J. Roletto

📷Night time Tucker
trawl sample, FULL of krill.
Photo credits: NOAA/Point
Blue/ACCESS, H. Jariwala

📷Laysan albatross.
Photo credits: NOAA/Point
Blue/ACCESS, J. Roletto

📷Northern fulmar.
Photo credits: NOAA/Point
Blue/ACCESS, J. Roletto

📷Humpback whale and
Pacific white sided dolphins.
Photo credits: NOAA/Point
Blue/ACCESS, R. Wallen

📷Final group shot
(minus the photographer)!
Photo credits: NOAA/Point
Blue/ACCESS, L. Krigsman

So small. So cute. So many arms.This tiny octopus was spotted during a nighttime Tucker trawl. It was simply too adorabl...
05/13/2026

So small. So cute. So many arms.

This tiny octopus was spotted during a nighttime Tucker trawl. It was simply too adorable not to share with all of you.

Some fun facts about our tiny ship visitor:

* Female octopuses lay eggs in a benthic den, carefully tending to them throughout their incubation period.
* Once hatched, baby octopuses drift as part of the plankton community.
* Of the thousands of eggs laid, only a small percentage survive. But those that do return to the seafloor or the kelp beds to grow into some of the ocean’s most intelligent and remarkably adaptable predators.









📷Larval Octopus
Photo credits: NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, L. Krigsman

05/12/2026

📷Hungry mola slurping up by-the-wind sailors. Photo credits: NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, J. Roletto

05/12/2026

📷Millions of by-the-wind sailors (and dolphins, by the hundreds) seen off the side of the R/V Shimada. Photo credits: NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, L. Krigsman

A Tale of a SailVelella velella, also known as By-the-Wind Sailor, are important clues about changing ocean conditions i...
05/12/2026

A Tale of a Sail

Velella velella, also known as By-the-Wind Sailor, are important clues about changing ocean conditions in our region. In years with good to average upwelling, we may see some by-the-wind sailors offshore. During poor upwelling or warmer-water years, however, they can become especially abundant in our samples and observations.

And on this cruise… we have seen SO many by-the-wind sailors!

By-the-Wind Sailors are floating colonies of carnivorous polyps related to jellies. When offshore colonies are ready to reproduce, they produce tiny jellyfish-like buds that sink into deeper waters and release larvae. Those larvae eventually return to the surface and grow into the sail-bearing colonies we see drifting across the ocean. Their small S-shaped sails catch the prevailing northwest upwelling winds, and when conditions align, large numbers can drift into the sanctuaries and wash ashore on local beaches.

While they do not sting as strongly as jellies, it’s still best not to touch them. Accidentally rubbing your lips or eyes before washing your hands may cause irritation. Curious dogs that eat too many may also get sick and vomit up their beach-found treasures.

While your dog should avoid these abundant animals, there is one fish out there having the time of its life right now: the ocean sunfish (Mola mola), which is busy slurping up these gelatinous delicacies all along the California coast.

Have you seen high numbers of by-the-wind sailors at a beach near you? Drop us a note in the comments and let us know where!


science






📷By-the-Wind Sailor (and small octopus) captured from the Tucker trawl. Photo credits: NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, L. Krigsman

📷Millions of by-the-wind sailors (and dolphins, by the hundreds) seen off the side of the R/V Shimada. Photo credits: NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, L. Krigsman

📷Beachwatch PtReyesBeach. Photo credits: NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, Beach Watch

Why are the waves so purple?Doliolids are a tiny gelatinous zooplankton, related to tunicates (which are also the closes...
05/12/2026

Why are the waves so purple?

Doliolids are a tiny gelatinous zooplankton, related to tunicates (which are also the closest invertebrate related to humans). They have a purple-blue hue and often appear in our ACCESS net tows during warmer-water periods offshore, before upwelling winds transport them closer to shore. We are currently seeing pulses of upwelling throughout the region from Point Arena to Pescadero, so the presence of doliolids may signal warmer waters occurring offshore.

They move with a jumpy swimming pattern that may help them evade predators such as Sapphirina copepods, which can bore through their outer surface and feed on their internal organs. Nature can be brutal.









📷Purple doliolid captured from the Tucker trawl. Photo credits: NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, L. Krigsman

📷 Purple doliolid captured from the Tucker trawl. Photo credits: NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, L. Krigsman

📷 Sapphirina captured from the Tucker trawl. Photo credits: NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, L. Krigsman

📷 Sapphirina captured from the Tucker trawl. Photo credits: NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, J. Janhncke

A fun surprise!We don’t normally encounter Pacific white-sided dolphins or northern right whale dolphins during our ACCE...
05/11/2026

A fun surprise!

We don’t normally encounter Pacific white-sided dolphins or northern right whale dolphins during our ACCESS cruises, but they truly put on a show for us this trip.

Over several days, we observed both species feeding and bow riding — even in Beaufort 6 winds! For those unfamiliar with this wind scale, Force 6 is a strong breeze, with speeds between 22–27 knots (25–31 mph, 39–49 km/h). On land this would make large branches move or make it hard to use an umbrella. While at sea it produces large waves around 9 to 13 ft in height. Finding mammals in these conditions can be a challenge, especially with extensive white foam crests.

On one calm day, with gentle swells and light winds, we encountered more than 2,000 individuals!

In the Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank regions, these fast-moving dolphins migrate both nearshore and offshore throughout the year, making sightings like these especially memorable. We were incredibly lucky to catch them this season.









📷 Northern right
whale dolphins playing by the ship
Photo credits: NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, H. Jariwala

📷 One of many Pacific
white-sided dolphins swimming by the ship. Photo credits: NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, H. Jariwala

📷 Not a reflection,
that is two (of MANY), Pacific white-sided dolphins racing the Shimada. Photo credits: NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, L. Krigsman

What can a scoop of seawater reveal?eDNA stands for Environmental DNA, and is helping scientists move toward a future of...
05/10/2026

What can a scoop of seawater reveal?

eDNA stands for Environmental DNA, and is helping scientists move toward a future of non-fishing ocean sampling. Tiny traces left behind in the water — like skin cells, mucus, scales, and waste — can help identify what animals were recently in the area, even if they’re nowhere in sight.

The current state-of-the-art using eDNA, only tells us about presence or absence of wildlife in the water. We still need net sampling and visual observations to determine the numbers of each species in order to assess if species are trending upwards or downwards.

On this cruise, Hamali (NOAA Volunteer) and Maggie (Point Blue Intern) are processing water samples collected from the Niskin bottles on the CTD. The samples are run through special filters that capture microscopic particles, which will later be analyzed at MBARI for evidence of eDNA. Scientists then compare the results against known voucher species in a national database to help identify the organisms present in the ecosystem.

Every drop of seawater has a story to tell! What ocean animal would you hope to detect using eDNA? Let us know in the comments below.









📷 Flying Bridge view
of the CTD
Photo credit: NOAA/Point
Blue/ACCESS, K. DeForest

📷 Water samples for
eDNA taken from the CTD
Photo credit: NOAA/Point
Blue/ACCESS, R. Wallen

📷 Water samples being
processed in the wet lab
Photo credits: NOAA/Point
Blue/ACCESS, R. Pound

Birds RunningSooty shearwaters have been the most abundant birds we’ve spotted during this cruise! Like northern fulmars...
05/09/2026

Birds Running

Sooty shearwaters
have been the most abundant birds we’ve spotted during this cruise! Like northern fulmars and many other tube-nosed seabirds, they must run into the wind to take off. Once airborne, they skillfully use updrafts from ocean winds and swells to glide effortlessly
across the sea.

Sooty shearwaters
are incredible travelers breed in the Southern Hemisphere before making an epic journey across the Pacific to forage in the California Current and our national marine sanctuaries. Northern fulmars, on the other hand, breed on islands in the high Arctic and Bering Sea — another remarkable seabird adapted to soaring above the open ocean.

Share your favorite
bird pun in the comments below! Here’s one to get you started: “Is your tube-nosed running?”









📷 White northern
fulmar taking off with a few Velella for company
Photo credit: NOAA/Point
Blue/ACCESS, J. Roletto

📷 Sooty shearwater
ready and running for take-off
Photo credit: NOAA/Point
Blue/ACCESS, J. Roletto

📷 Sooty shearwater
- ready!
Photo credit: NOAA/Point
Blue/ACCESS, J. Roletto

📷 Sooty shearwater
- set!
Photo credit: NOAA/Point
Blue/ACCESS, J. Roletto

📷 Sooty shearwater
- off and running and ready to go!
Photo credit: NOAA/Point
Blue/ACCESS, J. Roletto

Science doesn’t sleep—and neither do the scientists aboard the R/V Shimada.On the ACCESS Ocean expedition, teams work ar...
05/09/2026

Science doesn’t sleep—and neither do the scientists aboard the R/V Shimada.
On the ACCESS Ocean expedition, teams work around the clock to understand life in the California Current. By day, they track seabirds and marine mammals while collecting ocean data and sampling the water column. By night, the work continues with specialized net tows that reveal what’s happening beneath the surface after dark.

Why does this matter? Because the ocean is constantly changing—and understanding those changes helps protect marine ecosystems, fisheries, and the health of our planet.

From sunrise to midnight, every sample and observation brings us closer to seeing the full picture, one Tucker trawl and CTD cast at a time









📷- Shimada crew deploy the CTD for nighttime sampling of water temperature and environmental DNA.
Photo credit: NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, L. Krigsman

📷 SFSU graduate student and nighttime science deck lead, Laila SanAhmadi, shows us her catch from the nighttime Tucker trawl. The cod end is overflowing with krill!
Photo credit: NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, L. Krigsman

📷 Graduate students, Amanda Nolen and Allie Johannsen, begin to process the phytoplankton samples. At the end of the cruise, these samples will be shipped to the state’s Department of Public Health Services to detect if there is the presence of diatoms that produce domoic acid poisoning or paralytic shellfish poisoning.
NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, J. Howar

📷 Observers from NOAA/Pt. Blue Conservation Science/Greater Farallones Association look for and count birds, mammals, and vessels for 10-12 hours per day.
Photo credit: NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, L. Krigsman

📷 Tucker Trawls happen day and night. Laila SanAhmadi and Lisa Krigsman will be up for a while, prepping that very full net!
Photo credit: NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, H. Jariwala

📷 A glimpse of krill and copepods that come out of a Tucker Trawl.
Photo credit: NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, L. Krigsman

📷 Ship side operations, Hoop net and CTD.
Photo credit: NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, J. Howar

Address

Petaluma, CA
94954

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when ACCESS Oceans posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category