Over 130 years ago, the United States recognized that some areas on land deserved special protection and created its first National Park. A hundred years later, the U.S. realized that special places in the ocean needed similar protection and passed the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. It was a critical step, but not enough. Scientists have determined that preserving the health and diversity of marine ecosystems requires fully-protected Marine Reserves.

Marine Reserves safeguard habitat and protect the rich web of life in the sea. Scientific studies have shown that biodiversity inside Marine Reserves can be 50 percent higher than in exploited areas. Without disturbance to the seafloor, corals and anemones grow into colorful underwater landscapes. Kelp forests, rocky reefs, and areas of open sand and mud support all different sorts of species, from the microscopic organisms at the bottom of the food chain to marine mammals and sharks. Sport fishermen working at the borders of reserves report catching record-sized fish. Marine Reserves protect sealife and their underwater homes in a way that regulations focused on one or two species cannot.

Good for Us
Increased biodiversity provides benefits not only for the ecosystem, but also for the people who live, work and visit the state's coastal waters. Vibrant underwater areas draw millions of visitors to the ocean each year, offering extraordinary wildlife viewing opportunities. Tourism and the natural quality of life on the coast helps drive California's more than $40 billion dollar ocean economy, the largest in the nation.

Good for Fish
The ability of reserves to shelter large fish is particularly critical to the ecosystem. Many fish take years to mature and reproduce-some begin spawning after only a couple of years, others require at least a decade. As fish grow larger, their ability to produce eggs increases exponentially so that in terms of making baby fish, one big fish can produce as many young as a hundred smaller fish. In very long-lived species such as Pacific rockfish, large individuals (over 20 years old) produce the majority of eggs Marine Reserves also play a critical role by protecting large predators. In California, large fish and lobsters are also important urchin predators. When fishing depletes these predators, purple urchin populations explode, mowing down kelp and leaving areas barren. Protecting large animals helps protect kelp forests. Insurance in a changing ocean

Good for the Future
For all that is known about the ocean, far more remains unknown. Many of the species fished in California, particularly popular recreational species, are poorly understood and have never been scientifically assessed. Our power to predict the consequences of our actions in a constantly changing sea is extremely low. New discoveries about the influence on fish abundance of El Nino and other shifts in ocean temperature and productivity underscore that a high level of uncertainty is inherent in our estimates of fish population trends. Marine Reserves protect real fish, rather than fish populations estimated in computer models. Marine reserve networks provide fishery managers with insurance in the face of limited knowledge, uncertainty, and unpredictable changes in the ocean environment. Marine Reserves also leave options open for future generations by protecting organisms whose benefits are currently unknown.