Stanford Hopkins Marine Station outlines 130-year history and coastal vulnerability at Monterey council

Stanford's Hopkins Marine Station presented to the Monterey City Council May 5, highlighting the institution’s 130-year local history, current research programs and coastal vulnerability planning.

Bill Sherrod, associate director at Hopkins Marine Station, described the site’s origins, its role in local marine science education and its modern research focus. "I am Bill Sherrod. I'm the associate director at Stanford's Hopkins Marine Station," he told the council. Sherrod said the station supports about 14 faculty and primarily graduate students doing work that ranges from molecular and evolutionary biology to ecosystem-level studies of kelp forests and fisheries.

Sherrod described coastal and sea-level vulnerabilities at the station and nearby peninsula. He said the station’s terrain includes low zones near Agassiz Beach and adjacent areas, and staff are planning for both gradual sea-level rise and episodic storm surge. "We anticipate a 1 to 2 foot sea level rise in about the 50 year event horizon, but then plus or minus 7 foot for planning factor for that storm surge," Sherrod said, noting that planning must account for combined effects of rising seas and peak storms. He also described partnerships with regional institutions including the Monterey Bay Aquarium, MBARI and local universities and invited continued municipal collaboration.

Following the presentation, the council opened a short public comment period on the presentation during which Nina Beatty asked whether Hopkins was examining alleged radiation impacts from the Fukushima incident and other stressors such as sonar and microwave/5G emissions. Sherrod said nothing specific came to mind on those topics but emphasized regional partnership and the range of faculty research areas.

The council thanked Sherrod and indicated interest in continued collaboration between the station and city staff on coastal resilience and research opportunities.