State of Tomales Bay Conference 2026

Marconi Conference Center Marshall

A West Marin tradition. Tomales Bay Foundation is proud to announce the

9th State of Tomales Bay Conference

Tickets will be available September 1, 2026

State of Tomales Bay Conference 2026 Agenda

History, Health and Humans in Tomales Bay 

Program for the Day: October 30, 2026

8:30 am to 5:30 pm

Marconi Conference Center, Marshall

8:30 am        Registration and Coffee

9:00 am       Welcome by Master of Ceremonies – Neysa King 

9:05 am       Update/Status of TBF Projects  

Tom Gaman, Chair – Tomales Bay Foundation

9:20 am        Keynote

John Largier, Former Director of the Bodega Marine Laboratory (BML) 

9:45    Q & A

History (10 am – 10:45 am),  intro by Neysa

10 am  Indigenous history 

Matthew Johnson, FIGR

10:20 am 19th & 20th century history

Dewey Livingston, historian

10:35 am  Rescues In The Bay: Behind-the-Scenes Look At Deadly Mistakes

Point Reyes Fire Department

10:50  Break

Health: Current state & environmental change (11 am – 12:45 pm), intro by Neysa

11 am 2010-2022 GFNMS Condition Report, with focus on Tomales Bay

Karen Reyna, GFNMS  

11:20 am Tire Removal Project at Marconi Cove &  Tomales Bay Mooring Program 

Max Delaney, GFNMS  

.11:35 am   Salmonid Research and Monitoring

  • 11:35 Lagunitas Creek: Eric Ettlinger, Marin Water 
  • 11:50 Walker Creek, Derek Acomb, CDFW 

12:05   Shorebird and Waterbird Trends

Scott Jennings, All Hands Ecology  

12:20 pm  Olympia Oysters 

Ted Grosholz, UC Davis

12:35  Q & A 

12:45 Lunch (included in registration)

1:30 pm  Giacomini Wetlands Restoration

Lorraine Parsons, NPS   

1:45  TBF-sponsored research
Grant recipients   

Humans (2:30 – 4:15 pm), intro by Neysa

2:30 pm Chicken Ranch Project update in detail. 

Christopher Woltemade, PCI project designer

2:45 pm Sea Level Rise

Nadia Seeteram, Marin County’s new Climate Director 

3:00  pm  Break

3:15 pm  Trends in Recreation – 

3:45 pm   The Future of Shellfish Farming and Blue Food Economy

Gary Fleener, Hog Island Oyster Co  

4:00 pm Upland Ranches – Watershed Management/Water quality

Woody Elliott, Vice Chair – Tomales Bay Foundation   

4:15 pm  Q & A 

Future: Science and Policy (4:30-5 pm), intro by Neysa King

4:30 pm 

Andrea C. Alfaro, new director of the Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute

and Bodega Marine Laboratory; Professor, Marine Ecology and Aquaculture, UC Davis  

Assemblyman Damon Connolly (invited)

5 pm Social Hour

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