Now Available! Marine Protected Area Long-Term Monitoring Project Reports

Rocky intertidal habitat survey
CDFW photo by C. Shen

The first outcomes from long-term monitoring of California’s Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network are now available online in seven technical reports, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Ocean Protection Council, and California Sea Grant have announced.

Now Available! Key Themes Summary from 2021 MPA Community Meetings

In fall 2021, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), in partnership with the Ocean Protection Council, hosted a series of four public Community Meetings. The meetings were held both to inform California’s ocean community about the upcoming Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) Decadal Management Review, and to receive public input on the process.

Exploring California’s Marine Protected Areas: Egg (Devil’s Slide) Rock to Devil’s Slide Special Closure

View of Egg Rock from the mainland
photo by P. Gonzales

In 1986, a devastating oil spill wiped out an entire population of more than 3,000 common murres nesting on Egg Rock off the coast of San Mateo County. But this restoration story has a happy ending – over the last quarter century, the common murre population here has rebounded to more than 2,000 birds. Read on to find out how state and federal interventions assisted in this comeback…

California’s Ocean Habitats: The Rocky Intertidal Zone

Flattop crab in a Montara State Marine Reserve tidepool. photo © Alison Young CC BY-NC 2.0

Purple sea urchins and a host of intertidal creatures at Point Lobos State Marine Reserve. photo © amyyy4004 CC BY-NC 2.0

Moonglow anemone in a Montara State Marine Reserve tidepool. photo © Alison Young CC BY-NC 2.0

Intertidal zone at Point Lobos State Marine Reserve. photo © ampersandroo CC BY-NC 2.0

Imagine a mystical world revealed when the gravitational forces from glowing celestial orbs peel back watery waves, uncovering pools teeming with life. Jewel-toned, flower-like animals gently sway in the currents, waiting for their next meal to float by.

CDFW Prepares for MPA Network Review, New Informational Web Page Available

click to enlarge

Have you heard the news that California’s network of marine protected areas (MPAs) is approaching its 10-year anniversary? Completed in 2012, the MPA Network will have its first Decadal Management Review in 2022. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and partners are currently preparing for the review, which will serve as an update on the four pillars of the MPA Management Program – including an evaluation of the MPA Network towards meeting the goals of the Marine Life Protection Act.