California has more than 1,000 miles of coastline and some of the richest and most diverse ocean ecosystems. California is also the number one travel destination in the U.S. Over 12 million people each year come to visit our tidepools, watch whales and dolphins play along our shore and, of course, spend time at our extraordinary beaches.

Under the waves, California has canyons deeper than the Grand Canyon and kelp forests whose thick green leaves shelter sea otters and baby fish. Four species of sea turtles visit California and millions of seabirds stop by on their migrations to snack on the small fish that school in coastal waters. Swimming deep among bright purple corals and orange sponges, Pacific rockfish can live to be over 100 years old. Historically, this bounty has providing a way of life for coastal residents.

Today, this bounty is at risk. Human activities such as fishing and pollution have disrupted ecosystems, threatening marine fish and wildlife and interfering with the balance of life. White abalone are on the verge of extinction and rockfish populations have become so severely depleted that federal regulators were forced to issue emergency closures in 2002 to protect them. Now is the time to restore this balance to our coastal waters, so they can be productive far into the future.

In order to restore our coastal waters to health and ensure a future for the species that make it home, we need a network of marine reserves, or areas where all extractive activities are prohibited. By setting aside part of our oceans today, we ensure they will be healthy tomorrow. California's Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) is the way to plan for the future. Your help is needed to ensure that plan comes to be.