The Washington Ocean Acidification Center will host the third Olympic Coast Ocean Acidification Sentinel Site (OASeS) symposium in Ocean Shores, Wash. on May 12-13, 2026, at the Ocean Shores Convention Center. 

The symposium will focus on ocean acidification related science and include panels on cultural significance and Indigenous Knowledge, formal and informal education and outreach efforts, management of Dungeness crab in a changing ocean, restoration and resilience efforts on the Olympic Coast, and more.

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries designated Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary as an Ocean Acidification Sentinel Site in November 2019. The four Coastal Treaty Tribes who are sustained by these waters—Hoh Tribe, Makah Tribe, Quileute Tribe, and Quinault Indian Nation—together with the state of Washington, support this designation for the Washington coast. A roundtable-style steering committee guides Sentinel Site activities and ensures broad representation of coastal resource manager, rightsholder, and stakeholder interests.

Sentinel Sites promote coordinated observations and applied science of federal, tribal, state, academic, and community entities to enable early detection of ecosystem change in response to human or natural disturbance. They also encompass education and outreach activities to raise awareness of pressing environmental issues. The Sentinel Site informs resource managers and coastal communities about the impacts of changing ocean conditions, namely ocean acidification, on marine resources, cultures, communities, and economies to ensure they are prepared for a changing ocean to continue to support the blue economy of the Olympic Coast region.

This event is open to the public, and attendees should register here by April 20, 2026.

For more information, contact Katie Wrubel 360-406-2081, Katie.Wrubel@noaa.gov