Welcome to the Ocean Collective

The home organization for the blue economy of the Santa Barbara Channel region, serving Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Our vision: A thriving ocean innovation community in the Santa Barbara Channel region, anchored in a robust working waterfront, where better ways of working with the ocean are invented, tested, and put into practice, sustaining a healthy ocean, a resilient coast, and good jobs for the people who live here. The Ocean Collective becomes a model for other coastal communities.

The Blue Economy refers to sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystems. This collaboration between Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) and Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara (CFSB), with support from the City of Santa Barbara and the Economic Development Collaborative, creates a revolutionary model integrating ecological restoration, economic revitalization, and indigenous sovereignty.