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School of Fish

About

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The Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions catalyzes research, innovation and action to improve the health of the oceans for the people who depend on them most.

Over 300 million people around the world depend on the oceans for their livelihoods, and over three billion people rely on oceans for food security. But oceans are in an era of upheaval, propelled by climate change, overfishing, coastal development, pollution and other stresses. The Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions (COS) is creating the innovations needed to sustain ocean health in the face of these threats – translating insights from research into solutions at scale for oceans and people.  

Our Approach

We work with researchers at Stanford and other universities to advance understanding of ocean challenges and to help create new solutions. Our core team of researchers and fellows partner with other research institutions, national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), businesses and governments, as well as established and emerging leaders in the data revolution to deliver impact in the water. As a university-based center, we integrate leadership development into all of our work to help build a generation of ocean leaders who are equipped to work across disciplines and across sectors.

Who We Are 

We are an interdisciplinary program of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. We capitalize on Stanford’s deep expertise in ocean science and in the many other disciplines crucial to solving ocean problems including engineering, computer science, political science, design and business. 

We host a range of researchers and fellows to support our work, including Early Career Fellows who support interdisciplinary collaborations, and more seasoned senior fellows who strive to form strategic partnerships with NGOs and local governments within the regions we work.