Who We Are

The Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP) is an aquatic sciences research institute that works to improve management of aquatic systems in Southern California and beyond. Since its founding as an intergovernmental public agency in 1969, SCCWRP has been developing strategies, tools and technologies that the region’s water-quality management community relies on to more effectively protect and enhance the ecological health of Southern California’s coastal ocean and watersheds that drain to it. As an R&D agency, SCCWRP’s reputation is built on conducting research and translating this science into actionable guidance and recommendations that inform management decision-making and policy development.

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Latest News

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Upcoming Meetings

SCCWRP Commission meeting -
SCCWRP Commission meeting -
SCCWRP Commission meeting -
SCCWRP Commission meeting -
SCCWRP Commission meeting -

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Latest Publications

Wong, C.S., W. Lao, S. Dial, D. Nguyen, L.M. Thornton Hampton. 2024. Multimedia investigations of microplastic concentrations in the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers. Technical Report 1389. Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. Costa Mesa, CA.

Fassman-Beck, E., K.C. Schiff. 2024. SMC Non-Structural BMP Workshop Report – March 1, 2022. Technical Report 1405. Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. Costa Mesa, CA.

Mazor, R.D., R. Darling, J.S. Brown, C. Loflen, J. Olson, G.M. Keating, M. Robinson. 2024. Candidate metrics for an index to assess the ecological condition of intermittent and ephemeral streams in Southern California when they are dry. Technical Report 1398. Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. Costa Mesa, CA.

Callejas, I.A., Y. Kong, K. Osborn, W. Hung, M. Cira, T. Cason, A. Sloane, A. Shenkiryk, A. Masikip, A. Singh, A. Jones, J.A. Steele, J.A. Jay. 2024. The influence of urbanization and water reclamation plants on fecal indicator bacteria and antibiotic resistance in the Los Angeles River watershed: A case study with complementary monitoring methods. Science of The Total Environment

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Research Portfolio

Research Portfolio

SCCWRP is a regional aquatic science research agency with national impact. Learn more about the agency’s broad research portfolio and how it shapes development of informed water-quality management strategy. More »

Management Impact

Management Impact

SCCWRP focuses on building a rigorous scientific foundation to inform management decision-making. Explore the organization’s most influential, impactful accomplishments of the past 50 years. More »

Scientific Publications

George Robertson of the Orange County Sanitation District, left, and Ashley Booth, center, and Erin Oderlin of the City of Los Angeles Sanitation calibrate and prepare an XPRIZE-developed ocean pH monitoring sensor for a test deployment in nearshore waters off Crystal Cove. All four of SCCWRP’s POTW member agencies participated in the training exercise in early August.

SCCWRP has collaborated with nearly 200 organizations on peer-reviewed journal articles in recent years. Explore the institutional affiliations of all of SCCWRP’s recent co-authors. More »

Scientific Leadership

Scientific Leadership

SCCWRP scientific staff hold more than 100 leadership roles with professional scientific societies, advisory committees and peer-reviewed journals. Learn more about how SCCWRP engages with the broader scientific community. More »