Join the Stewards of the Farallon Islands

The Farallon Islands

The Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most extraordinary places on Earth. Just 26 miles west of San Francisco, these rugged islands rise where the continental shelf drops into the deep ocean, surrounded by one of the planet’s most productive marine ecosystems.

The islands shelter the largest seabird breeding colony south of Alaska—over 500,000 birds, including half of the world’s Ashy Storm-Petrels—and are home to California sea lions, northern fur seals, elephant seals, and harbor seals. The surrounding ocean hosts one of the largest white shark feeding grounds in the world, 29 species of whales and dolphins, more than 390 species of fish, and over 330 species of deep-sea corals, sponges, shrimp, and crabs. Thanks to decades of PointBlue’s partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA, the Farallones and their surrounding waters continue to thrive as a haven for wildlife.

 

Point Blue on the Farallones

Protecting a Critical Wildlife Refuge for Future Generations

Point Blue is looking to secure sustained support that will allow us to continue our critical work. With your help, we can ensure this globally important refuge remains a sanctuary for seabirds, seals, whales, sharks, and many other species.

Operating the Farallon Islands Research Station requires $950,000 annually to sustain year-round staffing, wildlife monitoring, supply transport, and infrastructure maintenance. Recent federal funding cuts have removed over one-third of this budget, putting continuous presence and long-term monitoring at risk.

Since 1968, Point Blue Conservation Science has maintained a year-round research station on the Farallones. For nearly 60 years, our scientists have been the only conservation professionals living on the island—24 hours a day, seven days a week. Point Blue’s continuous presence has had tremendous conservation impacts. We are a force for protecting marine life and shaping public policy.

The ocean is changing rapidly. Warming waters, shifting prey, and stronger storms threaten this fragile ecosystem. Continued support is vital to keep scientists on the islands and ensures this legacy of science and protection endures.

 

Point Blue’s long-term research has driven lasting conservation gains:

• Restored 13 seabird species from depleted populations to over 500,000 birds
• Reestablished northern fur seals from one animal to a thriving colony
• Trained more than 1,000 conservation interns, launching most into conservation careers
• Helped establish three National Marine Sanctuaries: Cordell Bank, Greater Farallones, and Monterey Bay
• Influenced policies that ended gillnet fishing and white shark hunting
• Helped reroute shipping lanes, reducing the risk of whale strikes by 80%

Point Blue’s continued presence ensures new discoveries, sustained protection, and resilience for this living refuge as the climate changes.

Why Continued Research Matters

Long-term, uninterrupted research is essential
Decades of year-round monitoring reveal how climate change reshapes this ecosystem and how wildlife adapts. Because the Farallones are remote and exposed, continuous on-island presence is vital. Consistent support keeps trained scientists in the field each season, turning observations into solutions that safeguard this living refuge.

Ocean warming is changing everything
Warming waters shift when and where prey like krill and anchovies appear, forcing seabirds and whales to alter their foraging behavior. Each year, new insights from our monitoring guide conservation measures that strengthen ecosystem resilience.

Ocean acidification threatens the food web
As the sea absorbs more carbon dioxide, increasing acidity weakens the shells of tiny organisms at the base of the food chain. Monitoring these changes helps us anticipate cascading effects and shape policies that protect ocean productivity from the bottom up.

Stronger storms reshape fragile habitats
Rising seas and more intense storms erode nesting slopes and displace seals and sea lions into seabird colonies. Species such as Cassin’s Auklets are losing burrows needed to raise chicks, but our restoration efforts are creating new, protected nesting areas to sustain their populations.

 

Become a Steward of the Farallon Islands

Your commitment keeps this living refuge and its wildlife thriving for generations

By joining the Stewards of the Farallon Islands, you help sustain the year-round science that protects this extraordinary place. Your support keeps Point Blue scientists on the islands every day, tracking seabirds, seals, whales, and sharks to understand how a changing ocean affects them and the ecosystems they depend on. For nearly sixty years, Point Blue’s work on the Farallones has shaped ocean conservation across California.

We have documented record numbers of Brandt’s Cormorants, Tufted Puffins, California sea lions, and northern fur seals—proof that wildlife can recover when science and stewardship endure. These findings directly inform fisheries management, shipping practices, and marine sanctuary policy along the West Coast. Each success reflects the power of science, persistence, and partnership—and the generosity of people who believe places like the Farallones must remain wild and alive. As a Steward, you become part of that legacy, ensuring this refuge thrives for generations to come.

 

The Benefits of Stewardship

As a Steward of the Farallon Islands, you play a vital role in protecting one of California’s most extraordinary wildlife refuges. Your commitment sustains year-round science, safeguards seabirds, seals, sharks, and whales, and ensures that discoveries made here continue to guide ocean conservation across the West Coast.

Stewards enjoy the following benefits:

• Visit the Farallon Islands on a Farallon Patrol supply trip to meet scientists and witness thriving wildlife.
• Join an ACCESS ocean research cruise with Point Blue’s team and take part in real field research.
• Attend the annual Stewards Dinner to connect with fellow supporters and Farallon biologists.
• Receive seasonal research and impact updates.
• Know that your support makes a lasting difference for the environment.

To learn more or become a Steward, contact Nancy Gamble at ngamble@pointblue.org, Bennett Smith at bsmith@pointblue.org, or Christine Walker at cwalker@pointblue.org

Your support empowers Point Blue’s leading-edge science, education and training programs, and powerful partnerships that maximize nature’s benefits for wildlife and people. Point Blue Conservation Science is a registered 501(c)(3) organization and our federal tax identification number is 94-1594250.