Seaweed aquaculture in California, the United States, is at an early stage of development. The coastal climate and growing season contrast with the cold-temperate, where most seaweed cultivation in the US occurs. Climate change is warming coastal waters on average and increasing the frequency of marine heatwaves (MHWs). In California, those changes cooccur with predicted seasonal changes in upwelling. Warm, low nutrient events cause diebacks of wild Macrocystis pyrifera, and other wild-harvested species. Aquaculture can replace wild-harvested seaweeds and expand supplies of California-grown seaweeds, if cultivation is developed with climate-change resilience. We consider wild-harvested species for traits expected to increase climate resilient productivity. Golden kombu, Laminaria farlowii, was selected for test cultivation. Early life stages were successfully grown. Sporophyte growth rates were higher in summer than winter, confirming Golden kombu as a summer crop in California. Based on projections of change in upwelling intensity and season in California, we suggest a physiological screening approach for resilience to conditions expected in different regions of coastal California by mid-to-late 21st century.

Bishop Peak Natural Reserve Conservation Plan Update Douglas J. Bush My master's project is updating the Conservation Plan for the Bishop Peak Natural Reserve (BPNR) in San Luis Obispo, California. It is a professional project for the City of San Luis Obispo, supported by City policy that requires continued management of its open space network through management plans unique to each property. As one of the city's most visited open spaces and one of its most visible natural landmarks, the Bishop Peak Natural Reserve is in need of continued management and oversight. While much of the work in developing the plan focused on identifying issues and developing responsive policy, this background report takes a step back, focusing on the underlying principles and municipal policies which direct those efforts. This paper serves as a background report for the planning process including an overview of methodology and policy development. One of the primary goals set forth in the BPNR update process is to improve of management capacity and increase the potential for successful implementation. To accomplish this, the reports shows how aspects of an Adaptive Management approach can be integrated into plan review and development. This background report is intended to complement the plan itself and therefore issues not covered within this report are covered within the plan. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you firstly to Elena Meza. Your love, humor and passion for life inspires me to no end. Thank you to Kelly Main, Bob Hill and Chris Clark for your time, your advice and your patience. Thank you to my friends and family for your support. Lastly, thank you to the many teachers I've had from preschool to college who believed in me even when I didn't.