California’s MPA network is at a crossroads.
The good news: we have examples that show us what’s possible when conservation is built *with* people.
➡️Register to join Azul at an upcoming Regional MPA Meeting: www.bit.ly/CA-MPA-Mtgs-2026
https://youtu.be/ACZe3WQU5OA
Azul turns 15 this month! #Azul15 👑
From landmark California policies to global advocacy, Azul has built a movement where community, culture, & leadership converge.
Join us in celebrating Azul on 15 years of #OceanJustice!
Azul turns 15 today!! 🥳
15 years of proving: when Latino communities lead, ocean justice wins. 🌊
From landmark California policies to global advocacy, Azul has built a movement where community, culture, & leadership converge. #AzulQuince #Azul15 youtube.com/shorts/KQZjv...
From California to Massachusetts–we're all in for Ocean Day!!! 🩵
Azul Operations Associate Katherine Muniz is holding it down at the first-ever Massachusetts Ocean Day.
Our coasts may be miles away, but the fight for ocean justice is one.
TY for the invite, Environment America! 🌊
Join us in congratulating Richelle Poblete and Tomas Valadez on their 3rd Azul-versary! 🥳
We're grateful to have them on the team! ¡Gracias, Richelle y Tomas! 🩵
#CevicheMetiche: ¡Es hora de ponernos metiche con nuestro ceviche! 🐟 🦐
📰 Esta semana, el Senado Estadounidense pasó, de manera unánime, una iniciativa bipartidista de ley para combatir la pesca ilegal de productos del mar en el extranjero (#FISHact por sus siglas en inglés). youtu.be/TEZtNIjZjGU
🔔 Today, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife released analysis and recommendations on proposed changes to California’s world-renowned Marine Protected Area (#MPA) Network.
Read the statement from Marcela Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, Azul's Founder and Executive Director: azul.org/en/blog/cali...
Las mujeres son el corazón de Azul y del movimiento para proteger a nuestro océano. 💖🌊✨
#LatinasMarinas #MesDeLaMujer
El oleoducto se cerró en el 2015 — pero ahora, la administración Trump aprovecha las circunstancias para reabrirlo.
"No estamos dispuestos a pagar sus ganancias corporativas con nuestro futuro”, dijo Marcela Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, la Fundadora y Directora Ejecutiva de Azul.
#NoManchesElMar
📰 NOTICIAS DE ÚLTIMA HORA: Hoy, Sable Offshore Corp. reinició el flujo de petróleo en el oleoducto de la Unidad Santa Ynez — el mismísimo que causó el derrame de Refugio en el 2015, el peor desastre ecológico en Santa Barbara desde el derrame de 1969.
#NoManchesElMar
Gracias a estos días en el mar, reuniones comunitarias y conversaciones en la isla, la visita nos ofreció un poderoso recordatorio: cuando se confía en las comunidades y se respeta su liderazgo, se construyen sistemas de conservación que perduran.
🔗 azul.org/es/blog/de-l...
🦞Desde California hasta Chile: Marcela Gutiérrez-Graudiņš reflexiona sobre su viaje a Juan Fernández, donde el liderazgo local de la comunidad, pescadores, mujeres y la juventud están dando forma a uno de los ejemplos más poderosos de la gobernanza oceánica comunitaria:
🔗 azul.org/es/blog/de-l...
Through days at sea, community meetings, and conversations around town, one lesson is clear: ocean conservation works best when communities lead. 🌊
📖Read the full story and explore the journey: azul.org/en/blog/from...
🦞California to Chile: Azul’s Founder & Executive Director Marcela Gutiérrez-Graudiņš reflects on her journey to the Juan Fernández Archipelago—where fishing families, local leaders, and women of the community are shaping one of the world’s most powerful examples of people-centered ocean governance.
“The Coastal Act is the linchpin of equity & environmental justice along the California coast,” said Marcela Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, Azul's Founder & Executive Director.
www.independent.com/2026/02/26/lawmakers-mar...
ICYMI – Azul's Founder and Executive Director, Marcela Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, joined the Secretary Speaker Series to celebrate the Coastal Act's 50th anniversary!
@thecacoast.bsky.social @cacoastal.bsky.social
Check out the recording ⬇️ www.youtube.com/live/eYjby5OVccs
📆 Today at 12pm PT!
Azul's Founder and Executive Director, Marcela Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, is joining the Secretary Speaker Series to celebrate the Coastal Act's 50th anniversary. @thecacoast.bsky.social @cacoastal.bsky.social
🔗 Register: https://tinyurl.com/coastalact
"Mijo, wake up, it's time to join #LatinosMarinos at California Ocean Day"
If you're looking for a space that centers community, culture, and music in ocean advocacy, apply today to join #LatinosMarinos at #CAOceanDay 2026 in Sacramento!
🗓️ Apply today: www.bit.ly/AzulCAOD2026
¿Listo para hacer olas? ✨🌊
Únete a nosotros en Sacramento este abril y sé parte de la comunidad de #LatinosMarinos que está marcando el camino en #CAOceanDay 2026.
Las aplicaciones ya están ABIERTAS. Fecha límite: lunes, 16 de marzo 🐋
Aplica HOY: https://bit.ly/AzulCAOD2026
Así pasa cuando sucede...
Learn more about the National Azul Poll: http://bit.ly/AzulPoll2024
#BadBunny #LatinosMarinos #AzulPoll
🏆 We also want to thank Commissioners Notthoff and Escalante, who gave a shout-out during the meeting to our Founder and Executive Director, Marcela Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, for receiving the 2026 Peter Benchley Award for Excellence in Action!
We thank the Commissioners and staff at for this thoughtful and action-oriented report. It is a testament to what is possible when agencies and community partners work in true partnership to advance environmental justice for all Californians!
documents.coastal.ca.gov/assets/env-j...
➡️ It also ensured that at least one seat on the Commission is filled by someone who lives in and works directly with communities most burdened by environmental injustice, advancing representation in decision-making that historically didn’t exist.
#AB2616 fundamentally transformed the California Coastal Act by giving the Coastal Commission explicit authority to consider environmental justice — including the equitable distribution of environmental benefits and burdens — in coastal development permit decisions.
Central to this progress is Assembly Bill 2616, which Azul proudly co-sponsored and championed alongside community partners when it was enacted in 2016.
calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/hearings/100...
At the @thecacoast.bsky.social this week, our California Policy Manager, Tomas Valadez, delivered public comment on behalf of Azul in support of the Commission’s new Environmental Justice report, "Shifting the Current." 🧵
In times like these, it’s worth remembering the ocean knows no borders.
Migration is natural. Criminalizing it is not. #AbolishICE
¡Enhorabuena, Marcela! Known as the “Academy Awards for the Ocean,” the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards honor the world’s top ocean champs – making Marcela's win a historic moment for Latina leadership & justice-driven action on the global stage!
https://youtube.com/shorts/hPXyUhMMkZg?feature=share
We have MAJOR news!!
Marcela Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, Founder & Executive Director of Azul, has received the 2026 Peter Benchley Ocean Award for Excellence in Action 🌊🏆
¡Enhoranuena, Marcela! We are so incredibly proud!
#LatinosMarinos #PeterBenchleyOceanAwards
