Southwest Fisheries Science Center Laboratory Replacement
New Site for SWFSC Headquarters Relocation
January 7, 2009
SWFSC Press Release
Project Description
This project will replace NOAA's current National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) headquarters in LaJolla,California. The existing SWFSC facility is at risk—as determined by several geotechnical studies. The facility sits atop a 180 foot high coastal bluff that is undergoing natural cliff erosion, withclifffailurebeinginevitable.Two of the four buildings are at imminent risk of failure: buildings B and C, constructed in 1964, are at risk due to their proximity to the coastal bluff which is retreating from erosion. Buildings B and C have been vacated to temporary off-site leased space.
NOAA's SWFSC performs critical missions—conducting scientific research on fisheries management issues that have extended social and economic impacts, including the following:
- Provides essential scientific input to Pacific Fishery Management Council for fisheries management plans that directly affect the operations and economics of an estimated 6,000 fishing vessels along the U.S. west coast.
- Provides the sole NOAA scientific input to the Department on the recovery of eastern tropical pacific dolphin stocks. This information is required for decisions affecting the importation of tuna, and impacts both the U.S. tuna fishing industry and conservation groups.
- Supports the U.S. Pacific sea turtle recovery program; specifically, conservation and recovery efforts provide mortality offsets which will allow the tuna and swordfish fisheries to operate in the future.
- Supports management and recovery of California salmon, affecting thousands of recreational fishermen as well as hundreds of commercial operations.
New SWFSC Front Entrance (Artist Rendering)
Location
The site for the replacement facility will allow NOAA to maintain its current partnerships and location with Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the California Department of Fish and Game, and the Inter American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), by constructing a consolidated facility at a University of California, San Diego (UCSD) location. NOAA has executed a ground lease term sheet with UCSD and will be finalizing site selection and the ground lease documents by June 2009, following completion of National Environmental Policy Act analyses.
| Program Phase | Schedule (Start-Complete) |
|---|---|
| Business Case/Site Analyses/ Programming | 04 -11/007 |
| Design | 9/07 - 9/09 |
| Initial Construction/Site Work | 9/09 - 3/10 |
| Construction/Occupancy | 3/10 - 01/12 |
Project funding will be provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.