Observing the California Current since 1949 to understand and predict the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems

The California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) is an oceanographic and marine ecosystem research program off the coast of California that holistically studies the physics, biogeochemistry, and biology of the marine environment to inform the sustainable management of marine resources in the context of climate change.

Oceanographic Data

Temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and many more environmental variables from CTD sampling and underway systems

Marine Ecosystem Data

Marine mammals, seabirds, fish eggs & larvae, zooplankton, phytoplankton, primary production, bacterioplankton, and eDNA from net tows, CTD sampling, and underway systems

Latest News

Next Cruise:

CalCOFI conducts four research cruises per year; typically in January, April, July, and October. 

Cruises depart from and return to San Diego, CA and occasionally San Francisco, CA. Depending on the season and number of stations targeted, cruises are between 15 to 25 days.

Check the Cruises page for dates of upcoming cruises and summaries of completed cruises. 

CalCOFI is a unique partnership between government and academic organizations including NOAA’s Fisheries Service, California Department of Fish & Wildlife, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.