Planning the Development of the Santa Rosa Island Research Station

California State University Channel Islands, Camarillo CA

Investigators

Abstract

California State University Channel Islands is awarded a grant to plan the development a research station on Santa Rosa Island in Channel Islands National Park. The station will serve as a platform for multidisciplinary research on and stewardship of the unique natural and cultural resources within the park. The facility includes a four acre parcel and several existing buildings that are being renovated to accommodate visiting researchers, as well as undergraduates engaged in research projects on the island. The project will rely heavily on the experience of individuals associated with field stations and existing institutional partners, including the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. The grant will support travel and consultation with key individuals at other institutions that have experience developing and operating field research facilities (particularly those located in island settings). The project will allow CSU Channel Islands to develop a long-term strategic plan to guide the research facility?s physical development, its organizational structure, and its programmatic activities. Santa Rosa Island supports a diverse array of terrestrial animal and plant species. The waters surrounding the island are cold and nutrient rich, with an array of marine life including kelp forests, pelagic fish and numerous marine mammals. Isolation from the mainland fostered allopatric speciation which has yielded numerous endemic species and subspecies. Many of Santa Rosa Island?s endemic species have become endangered over the past century. The current understanding of the earliest colonists to the Americas is based on finds such as the Arlington Man on Santa Rosa Island. The field station will serve as a platform to enable work by researchers and students from a range of disciplines and institutions. Being part of the California State University system, CI is well positioned to foster research and educational partnerships with many of the CSU's other 22 campuses, as well as nearby University of California campuses. As a Hispanic Serving Institution, CI has a special opportunity to use the Santa Rosa facility to engage underrepresented minority students in field-based undergraduate research experiences.