Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego has named Mark Gold as the new director of the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations, the renowned oceanographic and marine ecosystem monitoring and research program better known as CalCOFI. 

The CalCOFI program is the longest-running ocean and marine resource observation program in the U.S., and is jointly managed by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW), and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. CalCOFI collects data to assess and manage major fisheries off the coast of California, surveying marine life and monitoring indicators of ocean and environmental change. In 2024, the program, which was originally founded to investigate the collapse of California’s sardine fishery, celebrated its 75th anniversary. 

Gold joins CalCOFI from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), where he was the director for Water Scarcity Solutions, a role focused on building climate resilience through integrated water management solutions for the increasingly arid urban California and Western U.S. Prior to his role at NRDC, Gold served as Governor Gavin Newsom's deputy secretary for Oceans and Coastal Policy and executive director of the Ocean Protection Council. In these roles, he served as a key advisor to the governor and California Natural Resources Agency, directing policy, scientific research and critical partnerships to increase protection of coastal and ocean resources in California. 

“Mark Gold brings a very strong vision for a sustainable future for CalCOFI,” said Margaret Leinen, vice chancellor for marine sciences at UC San Diego and director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “Given Mark’s extensive experience in environmental science, ocean policy and coastal management, we are fortunate that he will bring his expertise to CalCOFI to help the program continue its legacy, embrace new technologies, and expand into the future.” 

Prior to his term with Governor Newsom, Gold also served as UCLA’s associate vice chancellor for Environment and Sustainability, and served as the interim director and associate director of the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. Before joining UCLA, Gold was the first employee and president of the environmental group Heal the Bay for 18 years. 

“I’ve utilized research from Scripps and data from CalCOFI throughout my career in marine science and conservation,” said Gold. “I’ve always admired the work coming out of Scripps, and it’s thrilling to now be part of an institution and program working to track and understand the health of California’s fisheries and diverse marine ecosystem. In addition, I’m excited to work with CalCOFI and Scripps to better provide this critical information to coastal managers, communities, business, and researchers.   

Since its founding, CalCOFI has contributed to science and society far beyond informing sardine management, playing a critical role in understanding and managing the California Current Ecosystem and unique oceanography of the region. CalCOFI has helped in assessing the accuracy of ocean and weather models, understanding El Niño and La Niña fluctuations, supporting the sustainable management of fishing and aquaculture, aiding in the siting and development of offshore renewable energy, informing conservation efforts for culturally, recreationally and commercially important species, tracking ocean acidification and marine heat waves in coastal waters, and more.

Most recently, the CalCOFI program made headlines for being at sea for a routine quarterly ecosystem survey during the Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025. The fires dropped ash and debris onto the ocean surface as much as 160 kilometers (100 miles) offshore, and the science team was able to opportunistically take samples. Now, scientists are continuing their analysis of the potential effects of this urban wildfire ash on fisheries and marine life. Through the support of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Seaver Institute, scientists are analyzing the potential toxicant composition of the deposited ash collected at sea by CalCOFI to model their spread and better assess the impact of this urban wildfire ash on marine ecosystem health.

"Mark Gold has been a trusted environmental leader in California for decades. His appointment as the new CalCOFI director brings a deep commitment to advancing our understanding of ocean ecosystem health,” said State Senator Ben Allen (24th District). “As we face growing challenges from climate change, including ocean impacts from urban wildfires, Mark’s leadership will be instrumental in guiding collaborative research and informing science-based decision-making to protect our marine environment and support California's coastal economy. I look forward to the innovative direction he will bring to this foundational marine monitoring program."

The CalCOFI environmental archive is also playing a critical role in evaluating the impact of the pesticide DDT and industrial dumping off the coast of California. Samples from the archive are now being analyzed for DDT accumulation, helping scientists understand how and when pollution has been transported through the marine food web. 

“I have worked on DDT pollution on the California coastline and advocated for remediation efforts since the late 1980s, first with Heal the Bay and continuing through in my role at the Ocean Protection Council,” said Gold. “The scale and scope of the pollution have been beyond anyone’s imagination, but it’s impactful to be part of an institution working to understand the ecosystem impacts, share those findings with the public, and to see that the extensive archive of the CalCOFI collection is helping understand the scope of contamination.”  

Gold received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology and his doctorate in environmental science and engineering, all from UCLA. He has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the California Coastal Commission and the California Ocean Science Trust. He currently serves on the Metropolitan Water District.

Gold succeeds Scripps marine biologist Brice Semmens, who has stepped down from his exemplary service as CalCOFI director for the last eight years.