California Ocean Science Trust (OST) (www.oceansciencetrust.org) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public-benefit corporation established pursuant to the California Ocean Resources Stewardship Act (CORSA) of 2000. The mission of OST is to ensure that the best available science is applied to California policies and management to successfully maintain healthy, resilient, and productive coastal and ocean ecosystems. Because OST is not a government entity, it can act as an independent and unbiased broker between policymakers and managers, and the scientific community.