Community
$100,000 grant backs Mendocino Coast kelp and abalone recovery
Noyo Center for Marine Science received $100,000 from the PG&E Corporation Foundation for kelp recovery, abalone work and education.
Restoring the Mendocino Coast’s underwater forests is getting another $100,000 in support. The PG&E Corporation Foundation selected Fort Bragg’s Noyo Center for Marine Science for one of its 2026 environmental grants.
The center’s recovery project includes removing overabundant purple sea urchins and planting bull kelp in restoration areas. Funding also supports red abalone breeding and research connected to kelp recovery.
The work reaches beyond the water. PG&E’s program description includes bilingual environmental education for more than 1,000 students each year and practical workforce training through a Mendocino College partnership.
Noyo Center is one of five organizations receiving $100,000 apiece in the program’s final grant round. The foundation says the five-year effort has invested $2.5 million in 25 organizations across its service area.
PG&E says shareholder money funds the initiative. The program is no longer taking applications.
Sources
PG&E Corporation Foundation program details and 2026 recipients.