SF Blue Tech
june happy hour 2026
california ocean acidification
june 11
5:30pm – 8pm
south beach yacht club
$15 / $20 after june 3
Visiting SF? First timer?
You are welcome to register and join.
California coastal waters are becoming more acidic and losing oxygen faster than coastal waters almost anywhere else in the world.
This increasingly puts the state’s marine ecosystems and $51 billion ocean economy at risk.
Can Data De-Risk California?
Economic impacts from hypoxia and ocean acidification are multi-faceted and immediate. California waters face a multi-stressor world, where acidification will compound the effects of rising temperatures and declining oxygen levels — both of which threatens ecosystem stability. Changing ocean chemistry will likely lead to cascading environmental and public health concerns.
To help analyze, even predict, these shifts as well as help the ocean community better deal with changing conditions, a new marine data analytics platform is showing promise:
- Shellfish growers can improve crop survival by better timing outplanting of baby oysters to coincide with days of lower ocean acidity.
- Commercial fishermen can better monitor Dungeness crab* populations (*2025 harvest resale value $56 million), which are increasingly fleeing due to the rise in oxygen-depleted habitats.
New California Ocean Data Portal
The June happy hour 2026 looks at the California Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia (OAH) Portal, which pulls data from 20 million ocean observations, and provides access to real-time, modelled and remotely-sensed conditions. Developed by Dr. Alex Harper and team at the Central & Northern California Ocean Observing System, use of the portal is free to blue tech start ups, educators, students, scientists and research teams.
south beach yacht club
899 2nd street, san francisco
located aside SF Giants stadium
june happy hour 2026 agenda
5:30pm: networking, dinner and drinks
6:30pm: welcome
6:45pm: presentation
7:30pm: Q&A
return to networking
register
step 1: register starting may 27
our host venue
* We regret this is not a reciprocal club free event for members of other clubs. *
PRESENTER
Alex Harper, Ph.D.
Deputy Director
Central & Northern California
Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS)
Alex Harper, Ph.D. is the Deputy Director, Central and Northern California Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS). Often cited for her expertise on ocean change, notably acidification and hypoxia, she is a key coordinator for California’s ocean observation efforts.
Harper helps lead the statewide data integration and delivery system which aggregates, curates and disseminates real-time ocean data that is required by weather forecasting, maritime operations, ecosystem health and coastal resilience decision-makers.
She previously served as Program Manager for CeNCOOS at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, before relocating to Cal Poly Humboldt. Prior to CeNCOOS, she worked for the NOAA U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS) in Silver Spring, MD, and was a fellow with the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program.
Harper earned a Ph.D. in Chemical Oceanography and M.S. in Aquatic Science from Florida State University.
CeNCOOS is a U.S. Government-accredited, regional source for high-quality data, integrated information and diverse expertise for real-time and forecasted information on a range of subject matter, including integrated assessment tools for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), harmful algal blooms, animal telemetry and more.