We are excited to announce OST is partnering with UCSC’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR) to support and co-advise a California Coastal Climate Resilience Science-Policy Communication Fellow.
OST’s mission is to provide decision-makers with science advice and solutions on emerging ocean issues to inform state policy decisions. CCCR aims to catalyze critical research and educational programs in coastal resiliency. Our goals are thus aligned in providing critical evidence-based information to decision makers on strategies for building resilience to climate change. UC Santa Cruz researchers have significant expertise and experience in using insurance and other recovery funding to help advance resilience, while OST has been working on breaking down silos between industry, academia, and the state to advance nature based solution implementation and coastal adaptation.
Anna Guth, a Master’s student from the UC Santa Cruz (UCSC) Science Communication Program, comes to us from a background in environmental journalism with bachelor’s degrees in English and Environmental Studies from Wesleyan University. She has experience as a reporter and editor for the Point Reyes Light for four years, and was the communications manager for the West Marin Fund. Anna is one of three UCSC Science Communications Program students in this year’s program that are CCCR Fellows focusing on reporting on climate change, coastal resilience, and ocean science stories.
The UCSC Science Communication Program is a one-year program that trains students in the highest quality of science journalism while providing professional experience in writing and multimedia. Leveraging the Center’s and OST’s expertise and connections, Anna’s work will help drive greater public and community engagement in coastal climate resilience. We hope her work will fill knowledge gaps and break down silos around climate resilience, adaptation, and insurance.
As California faces increased climate-driven disasters, including coastal flooding and sea level rise, coastal adaptation strategies can help mitigate risk and increase resilience along the coast. New insurance and climate finance tools could incentivize adaptation, yet, insurance as a climate tool can be complicated and not widely understood.. Similarly, enabling adaptation markets, developing nature-based solutions, and advancing climate adaptation can build coastal resilience. Anna’s independent news stories will help facilitate understanding and interest in insurance and other coastal resiliency measures as potential tools for coastal resilience across sectors.
A first for OST, we are excited to partner with both CCCR and the UCSC Science Communication Program to advance programmatic goals and provide graduate support and experience. This partnership provides us a unique opportunity to support effective science communication, while continuing to live up to our mandate of supporting graduate education in California. We are excited to work with Anna this year!
