Ocean Science Trust

What Ocean Science Trust does

California Ocean Science Trust (OST) is a Sacramento-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created by the California Ocean Resources Stewardship Act (CORSA) in 2000 to serve as the state's designated science advisor for ocean and coastal management. The organization operates at the science-policy nexus, delivering policy-relevant scientific analyses, convening expert panels, coordinating independent peer reviews, and providing legislative science briefings to the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC), Department of Fish and Wildlife, State Lands Commission, Department of Insurance, and the California State Legislature.

OST does not develop proprietary technology products. Its core technology is a boundary-spanning convening model that activates an expert network drawn from California's universities and research institutions to produce scientific guidance documents, working group outputs, and expert testimony. Key offerings include the California Ocean Bill Tracker (a bespoke legislative monitoring tool), the SeaChange Scholars Fund (a graduate student support program), Ask an Expert briefings for the State Legislature, and ongoing science working groups on coastal restoration, sea level rise, ocean acidification, and marine protected area evaluation.

The organization is funded through a hybrid model combining State of California appropriations (primarily via OPC), federal grants (notably NOAA), foundation grants (Climateworks, Walton Family Foundation, Builders Initiative, Park Foundation, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission), and individual philanthropic donations. As a 501(c)(3) with TIN 65-1261006, OST does not charge for its services and relies on government contracts and philanthropic support. Its statutory mandate was reaffirmed and expanded by AB 2287 (2022) and SB 1324 (2024), and its Strategic Direction 2026-2030 outlines priorities including a multi-state West Coast expansion.

Name

Ocean Science Trust

Legal name

California Ocean Science Trust

Website

https://oceansciencetrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

California Ocean Science Trust is a Sacramento-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, statutorily designated as California's science advisor for ocean and coastal management, delivering policy briefings, peer reviews, and expert convening to state agencies and the legislature.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ocean Science Policy Advisory

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

Keywords

• Ocean science policy
• Science advisory services
• Marine resource management
• Legislative science briefings
• Ocean conservation research

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Donations: Individual and foundation donations through online portal, checks, stock donations, and IRA charitable transfers. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with TIN 65-1261006. They accept planned giving, bequests via trust or will, and retirement plan fund designations.
2. Government Grants and Contracts: Primary funding from State of California including California Ocean Protection Council, as well as federal sources like NOAA Ocean Acidification Program. Established by California Ocean Resources Stewardship Act (CORSA, 2000) as the state's designated science advisor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

California Ocean Science Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers policy-relevant ocean and coastal science to California state agencies and the legislature. The organization convenes expert panels, conducts independent peer reviews, produces scientific guidance documents, provides legislative science briefings, and supports graduate student research through fellowships and the SeaChange Scholars Fund. It operates as the state's designated science advisor under the California Ocean Resources Stewardship Act (CORSA, 2000).

Product overview

California Ocean Science Trust is a nonprofit organization that serves as a trusted intermediary between scientific research and California state policy. The organization operates through four core functions: Delivering Science Advice for Policymakers, Bringing Science to Lawmaking, Supporting Student Research, and Stewarding Investments in Ocean Science. Key offerings include the California Ocean Bill Tracker for legislative monitoring, the SeaChange Scholars Fund for graduate student support, Ask an Expert briefings for legislators, and various Science Working Groups that convene expert panels on ocean and coastal issues. The organization also produces reports, factsheets, and hosts the Navigating Your Future webinar series for career development at the science-policy nexus.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SeaChange Scholars Fund: A fund to support graduate students and catalyze innovative, applied research that promotes effective coast and ocean stewardship and increases California's future-ready ocean science capacity.

Products and services

• Science Advice for Policymakers Delivers timely, policy-relevant scientific roadmaps, analyses, peer reviews, and guidance to California state partners including the Ocean Protection Council, Department of Fish & Wildlife, State Lands Commission, and Department of Insurance.
• Bringing Science to Lawmaking Provides administrative testimony, expert briefings, and scientific analyses to California legislative staff to support evidence-based policy development on ocean and coastal issues.
• California Ocean Bill Tracker A resource tool that helps the scientific community stay informed about California Legislature policies impacting the coast and ocean, tracking bills across categories including Fisheries & Aquaculture, Coastal Resilience & Conservation, Ocean-Based Climate Mitigation, and Water Quality & Pollution.
• Supporting Student Research Provides direct support to graduate students and promotes mentorship, internships, and fellowships for designing research that informs California state resource management decisions.
• SeaChange Scholars Fund A dedicated fund supporting graduate students catalyzing innovative, applied research that promotes effective coast and ocean stewardship and increases California's future-ready ocean science capacity.
• Stewarding Investments in Ocean Science Brings experience in responsible stewardship of public and private funds and ignites interdisciplinary research collaborations to address state science priorities, including developing the U.S. West Coast Ocean Science Action Agenda.
• Ask an Expert Briefings Science briefing series for the California State Legislature providing legislators with expert scientific analysis on ocean and coastal matters including eDNA, harmful algal blooms, ocean noise, and offshore wind.
• Science Working Groups Convenes expert panels and working groups to deliver policy-relevant advice and products, including groups focused on coastal restoration, MPA network evaluation, sea level rise, and ocean acidification.

Quantifiable outcome

• Science-informed state policy on ocean acidification, sea level rise, DDT/microplastic pollution, kelp loss, offshore wind, and fisheries management

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• California Ocean Protection Council (OPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOST serves as OPC's Science Advisor and chairs OPC's Science Advisory Team. This is the organization's primary government partnership, delivering policy-relevant science and convening expert panels to advance OPC's strategic priorities. OST provides the best available science through partnership with the scientific community.
• Oregon Ocean Science TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop the West Coast Ocean Science Action Agenda, a coordinated initiative articulating shared ocean and coastal research, monitoring, and technology innovation priorities across the U.S. West Coast.
• California Department of Fish & WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOST coordinates independent scientific peer reviews for fishery management plans, ecological risk assessments, and provides guidance to support the Marine Life Management Act (MLMA) Master Plan amendment process.
• California State LegislaturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOST delivers Ask an Expert science briefings, administrative testimony, and scientific analyses to legislative committees and offices on issues including blue carbon, DDT/microplastic pollution, sea-level rise, and kelp loss crisis.
• California Department of InsurancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOST co-hosts workshops and symposiums on fisheries insurance and coastal resilience, working with the Department to explore innovative climate adaptation and insurance solutions for California.
• UC Santa Cruz Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint fellowship program supporting science communication on climate resilience and insurance. OST and CCCR co-advised a science communication fellow pursuing a master's in science communication at UC Santa Cruz.
• Oregon Ocean Science Trust, Washington Department of Ecology, West Coast Ocean AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partnership developing the West Coast Ocean Science Action Agenda to articulate shared ocean and coastal research, monitoring, and technology innovation priorities for the U.S. West Coast.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Scripps Institution of Oceanography: One of the world's largest ocean research institutions at UC San Diego, producing much of the underlying science that OST synthesizes for California policymakers. A potential competitor for direct state science advisory contracts and a key source institution for OST's expert network.
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: Major U.S. oceanographic research institution that conducts deep-ocean and coastal science and engages with federal policy on ocean issues. Comparable as a major source of policy-relevant ocean science, though national rather than California-specific in focus.
• Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL/NOAA): NOAA research lab conducting atmospheric and oceanic research relevant to West Coast climate and ocean health. Comparable as a generator of policy-relevant ocean data but structured as a federal laboratory rather than a state-level science intermediary.
• NOAA Ocean Acidification Program: Federal program under NOAA providing grant funding for ocean acidification research and is a documented major funder of OST. As a much larger federal entity, it represents a comparable science-delivery platform with broader geographic scope but less specialized state-policy focus.
• California Ocean Protection Council (OPC): The California state agency that OST serves as Science Advisor to. OPC sets California's ocean policy agenda and provides OST's primary state funding, making it the principal government counterpart whose priorities drive OST's work program. Not a direct competitor but the most consequential institutional partner.

Direct peers

• Oregon Ocean Science Trust: Oregon's statutory counterpart to California Ocean Science Trust, established under Oregon law to provide independent, science-based advice to the Oregon Legislature and ocean agencies. A formal partner of OST on the West Coast Ocean Science Action Agenda, making it the closest possible structural and functional peer in the science-policy intermediary space.
• COMPASS Science Communication: National nonprofit that trains scientists to engage with policymakers and media, providing boundary-spanning services across environmental and ocean science. Highly comparable to OST's boundary-spanning model, though COMPASS focuses on scientist training while OST focuses on convening and delivering specific science advice.

Others

• Resources Legacy Fund: A major California-based philanthropic foundation that funds ocean, coastal, and environmental conservation initiatives. Shares funders and grantees with OST and often co-funds the same California ocean policy work, making it a comparable foundation-side actor in the California ocean ecosystem.

Regional players

• California Coastal Commission: California state agency that regulates coastal development and is a primary consumer of the ocean and coastal science that OST helps broker. A peer in the California coastal-policy ecosystem rather than a direct competitor, but also a potential customer that could commission competing scientific analyses directly from universities.

Emerging players

• National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS): UC Santa Barbara-based research center that synthesizes ecological data for management and policy applications. Functionally comparable to OST's science synthesis and convening role but focused on ecological synthesis globally and federally rather than on California-specific ocean policy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/californiaost
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@oceansciencetrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-ocean-science-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ocean Science Trust