Santa Barbara Channelkeeper will present Blue Water Ball 2026, celebrating 25 years of protecting and restoring the Santa Barbara Channel and its watersheds, 5-9 p.m. Saturday, March 14 at the seaside Cabrillo Pavilion, 1118 E. Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara.
Tickets are now on sale. For ticket information, and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.bluewaterball.org.
The Blue Water Ball is Channelkeeper’s main annual fundraiser, raising money to support programs advancing clean water, healthy habitats, and thriving coastal communities throughout the region, the nonprofit said.
The event brings together ocean advocates and activists, civic leaders, business owners, and public officials for an evening in support of environmental stewardship.
The 2026 benefit marks Channelkeeper’s 25th year of being on the front lines of environmental protection along the California coast, organizers said.
“Through a blend of education, advocacy, fieldwork, enforcement, and community engagement, the organization has worked to ensure that the Santa Barbara Channel remains a thriving home for marine life and a clean, safe resource for everyone who lives, works, and plays here,” organizers said.
Speaking at the gala will be Jane Lubchenco, a world-renowned marine ecologist and influential ocean leader.
Lubchenco was the first woman to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from 2009-13, and was an inaugural member of President Barack Obama’s Science Dream Team.
At NOAA, Lubchenco introduced science-based policies that helped to restore U.S. fisheries, guided the nation through major environmental crises, and helped shape the first U.S. National Ocean Policy, Channelkeeper reports.
She also served as the first U.S. Science Envoy for the Ocean, and later led the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Climate and Environment team.
A MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, Lubchenco is currently the Wayne and Gladys Valley Professor of Marine Biology at Oregon State University.
The evening will be emceed by nonprofit community leader Geoff Green, and will include a welcome from Chumash representative Mia Lopez.
Guests will enjoy a multi-course dinner, local wines and brews, live music, and an auction featuring art, outdoor gear, and coastal adventures.
This year’s silent auction will be virtual and open to everyone in the community to place bids.