Research Activity Panel

View of the Big Sur coastline
View of Bixby Bridge from Hurricane Point, Big Sur. Photo: Steve Lonhart/NOAA

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Research Activity Panel is a working group of the advisory council. The Research Activity Panel has several key objectives:

  • Advise sanctuary staff on science issues that will influence policy (e.g., address research questions in the management plan)
  • Review research issues and documents for the advisory council and sanctuary staff
  • Facilitate the exchange of regional research information and create opportunities for project coordination
  • Convey regional research needs and opportunities to the advisory council

The Research Activity Panel is composed of 23 representatives from regional research institutions and organizations. Administrative support of the Research Activity Panel is provided by sanctuary staff.

Members
Meetings

History, Protocols, and Activities

For more information about the Research Activity Panel, contact Erica Burton, research ecologist, erica.burton@noaa.gov.

Ed Ricketts Memorial Award and Lecture

Ed Ricketts was born in Chicago in 1897 and studied ecology at the University of Chicago. He moved to the Monterey Peninsula in 1923 and opened Pacific Biological Laboratories, providing specimens and slides to research institutions. Ricketts met John Steinbeck in 1930 and became a major influence on the author's writing and philosophy, serving as the inspiration for many notable Steinbeck characters. On their famous trip aboard the Western Flyer, Ricketts and Steinbeck explored the Gulf of California and collaborated on the book "The Sea of Cortez." Ricketts also wrote "Between Pacific Tides," an ecological handbook of intertidal marine life that is still used as a textbook at many universities. The scientific catalog of organisms documented by Ricketts, both aboard the Western Flyer and during his other studies, has been invaluable to marine scientists. His work and unconventionally holistic approach to science has inspired generations of researchers.

Ricketts Award Criteria

The Ed Ricketts Memorial Award was created to honor scientists who have exhibited exemplary work throughout their career and advanced knowledge, appreciation, conservation and/or protection of the marine environment.

The Ricketts Award recognizes lifetime achievement in the fields of marine science conservation, or education, based in part on Ed Ricketts’ exemplary ability to study natural history and share knowledge in a compelling and holistic manner.

Recipients are selected by the Research Activity Panel of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Nomination and selection processes shall consider the following:

Achievement and Sharing of Knowledge

  • Contribution to, and impact upon, field of study
  • Ability to give an engaging and inspirational lecture

Collaboration and Engagement

  • Exceptional collaboration, communication and engagement
  • Engagement with all ways of learning about and understanding the natural world

Mentorship and Development

  • Active mentorship and development of all learners

Nominees do not have to be local to the Monterey Bay area.

2026 Ed Ricketts Memorial Award and Lecture

November 5, 2026

man standing on wooden deck with hand in pocket
Recipient of the 2026 Ed Ricketts Memorial Award, Dr. Andrew T. Fisher. Photo: Andrew Fisher

Dr. Andrew T. Fisher

Researcher and Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Earth & Planetary Sciences Department / Institute of Marine Sciences / University of California, Santa Cruz

Between Pacific Seamounts: Water, Heat, and Solutes from Rocks to Octopus and Back Again

Massive flows of salty water, equivalent in flow rate to the discharge of all of Earth's rivers and streams, help to exchange heat, dissolved minerals, carbon, and nutrients between subseafloor volcanic rocks, sediment, and the global ocean. Most of this "coupled flow" occurs at low temperatures and is difficult to locate, measure, and sample. As a result, we have a lot to learn about the rates and patterns of these flows and their impacts on valued biological systems. Teams of researchers have completed studies in the deep sea to understand these global processes, including crustal-scale hydrogeologic and tracer experiments, and the next generation of three-dimensional computer simulations. This presentation shows and links results from field and modeling studies to illustrate how novel tools and computing help to create new opportunities in subseafloor exploration and discovery.

About Andrew T. Fisher

Andrew Fisher has been a positive force in deep-sea research and teaching at University of California, Santa Cruz for more than 30 years. He is an effective teacher who uses a quick wit and an exceptional knack for humor to enliven topics and create lasting understanding of serious and complex subjects. His research and public service have been fundamental to helping improve fresh water management around Monterey Bay. The ideas founded in his lab have been coming to fruition over the past decade in the implementation of major groundwater recharge, water supply and water quality projects. His work has guided tens of millions of dollars in water investment that are helping to solve vexing problems. On the other side of the shoreline, he has done ground-breaking work on deep-sea vents. His deep-sea research interests and publications include hydrogeology of oceanic crust, seamounts, and ridge flanks; numerical modeling of coupled flows; and long-term monitoring and geothermal instrumentation. He is as entertaining a speaker as the science community has to offer, and his work in the two connected worlds of the deep-sea and water/groundwater management provides a deep well of relevant material for sanctuary audiences.

Andrew Fisher is a researcher and distinguished professor emeritus of Earth and planetary sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he has taught classes in geology, groundwater, and computer modeling. Fisher earned a bachelor’s degree in geology from Stanford University, and a doctorate in marine geology and geophysics from the University of Miami. Fisher is an elected fellow of the Geological Society of America, the American Geophysical Union, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has received two Excellence in Teaching Awards at U.C. Santa Cruz, and the O. E. Meinzer Award from the Geological Society of America’s Hydrogeology Division.

For November 5, 2026 lecture information, see: Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary's News page.

Additional Information