In December 2004, the program received the California Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award in Children's Environmental Education and in May 2005, US Senator Barbara Boxer presented the organization with her statewide Environmental Champion award https://www.webcitation.org/5McGWJ3FH?url=http://boxer.senate.gov/news/releases/record.cfm?id=238353. On August 22, 2009, the program's Adam Webster Memorial Fund received the Special Parents Information Network's Community Spinner Award for its work with special needs youth (www.spinsc.org). November 5, 2013, O'Neill Sea Odyssey was awarded the Impact Award from the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Executive Director Dan Haifley, along with University of California - Santa Cruz Distinguished Professor Gary Griggs, wrote a Sunday educational column for the Santa Cruz Sentinel entitled "Our Ocean Backyard" until April, 2019 when Kippen took over Haifley's turn writing.