The California Current Ecosystem LTER is part of the network of Long-Term Ecological Research sites funded by the National Science Foundation.
The California Current System is a coastal upwelling biome, as found along the eastern margins of all major ocean basins. These are among the most productive ecosystems in the world ocean. The California Current Ecosystem LTER (32.9°, -120.3°) is investigating nonlinear transitions in the California Current coastal pelagic ecosystem, with particular attention to long-term forcing by a secular warming trend, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and El Niño in altering the structure and dynamics of the pelagic ecosystem. The California Current sustains active fisheries for a variety of finfish and marine invertebrates, modulates weather patterns and the hydrologic cycle of much of the western United States, and plays a vital role in the economy of myriad coastal communities.
CCE News and Announcements
Latest Posts
CCE Forum held and new logo presented on 19 September!
The debut of our new CCE LTER logo was made at the start of the Fall Forum, held on 19 September 2025. Topics discussed were preliminary results from the Process cruise P2402, and further planning for the upcoming P2510 cruise on the R/V Atlantis (18 Oct – 17 Nov).
Pelagic Synthesis Group Meeting Held
CCE LTER scientists Mike Stukel, Kathy Barbeau, Mark Ohman and Vivian Hou recently participated in a pelagic synthesis group meeting at the LTER Network Office in Santa Barbara, CA. Participants from CCE, NGA, NES, and PAL LTER sites discussed manuscripts in preparation related to size spectra, trophic amplification, and the doubleRead more.
A new method has been developed for analyzing satellite data to better predict the export of carbon
MBARI researchers (along with CCE co-Lead PI, Mike Stukel) have developed a new method for tracking ocean carbon from space, recently highlighted in the LTER Network News. Read about it here!
LTER site exchange fellows announced for 2025
The LTER Network Office recently announced it will fund four site exchange fellowships in 2025. CCE LTER will host a Graduate student (Alexandra Cabanelas Bermudez) from the NES LTER site, and will also send Graduate student (Margaret “Maggie” Baker) to the NGA LTER site. Read all about it here!
CCE Grad students to defend PhD theses in May
Two CCE Graduate students will defend their theses this month! Jamee Adams (J. Diaz Lab) will present “Nutritional roles and enzymatic mechanisms of phosphorus utilization by marine microbes” on 16 May at 2 pm in Hubbs 4500. Hannah Adams (A. Schartup Lab) will present “Environmental and microbial drivers of methylmercury variabilityRead more.