Wonders of the Sea: NCC

The California Marine Life Protection Act
The application of the best available marine science to conserving life in our coastal ocean.
The MLPA, which became state law in 1999, mandates the creation of a state-wide network of marine protected areas, special areas in the ocean where all or some marine life is protected and people may enjoy the environment.

Marc Shargel has been a vocal advocate for marine reserves since 1997. Marine reserves are fully protected areas in the ocean where people may enjoy marine life, but not remove or injure it.

North Central California
North Central California was the second region to establish marine protected areas under MLPA. The North Central California MPAs became effective on May 1, 2010. Excellent resources showing maps of each area explaining the regulations for each are available on the website of the California Department of Fish and Game. The best single explanatory document is DFG's guide.

Central California
Central California was the first region to establish marine protected areas under MLPA. They were mapped out during an extensive and very public process from 2004 through 2006. Marc Shargel, author of the Wonders of the Sea books, was an alternate member of the Central Coast Regional Stakeholder Group which mapped the ares. The Central California MPAs became effective on September 21, 2007. Excellent resources showing maps of each area explaining the regulations for each are available on the website of the California Department of Fish and Game. There is an excellent summary and introduction in DFG's brochure, and an equally excellent comprehensive guide.

Southern California
Southern California was the third region to establish marine protected areas under MLPA. They were mapped out during an extensive, contentious, and very public process from 2008 through 2010. The Fish and Game Commission approved a set of MPAs for Southern California on December 15, 2010. They are expected to become effective in the summer of 2011. The high quality electronic publications available for the first two regions are not yet available for Southern California, but a map of the new MPAs, a list of GPS boundaries, and table of regulations are online now.

Marc Shargel's perspective on the new SoCal MPAs. Those who read my book on Southern California marine life will get a sense of my amazement at what swam a century ago in waters I though I knew. Southern California's ocean needs and deserves a break. A decade ago, a local effort resulted in a set of MPAs in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, off the Santa Barbara coast. A group representing all types of users concluded that 20% of the ocean area under consideration should have protected status, the vast majority as marine reserves. Under MLPA, the rest of the Channel Islands and the SoCal coast recieved similar consideration but a vastly different conclusion: less than 10% was protected, the minority as reserves. Particularly disappointing was the Navy's refusal to allow any MPAs around the islands they manage, San Clemente and San Nicolas. These are the "best of what's left" in Southern California.

Steve Benavides is an accountant and life-long diver who was a member of the Southern California Regional Stakeholder Group that mapped marine protected areas for that area. His reflections on the political process are informative reading.

Far Northern California
Northern California is the final region of ocean coastline to benefit from MLPA. While the process is still underway, the North Coast Regional Stakeholders' Group did something no previous group had managed to do, delivering a consensus preference for their recommendations. The online resources still reflect the work-in-progress nature of MLPA status on the North Coast, but you can see a clear indication of where things are going by looking at the maps and descriptions available on the North Coast proposals page.

San Francisco Bay
The San Francisco Bay is a theoretical fifth region to establish marine protected areas under MLPA. In the spring of 2011 we should get some indication of what sort of process will be undertaken to create MPAs in theBay.

Last updated February 19, 2011

Wonders of the Sea has turned three! Own them all.
Wonders of the Sea: North Central California's Living Marine Riches
Wonders of the Sea Volume Two: Marine Jewels of Southern California's Coast and Islands and
Wonders of the Sea Volume Three: Hidden Treasures of California’s Far North Coast