On Dec 6th, 2007 California officials announced that the mainland coast of southern California -- from Pt. Conception in Santa Barbara County to the Mexican border -- is next in the historic statewide process to establish coastal marine protected areas (MPAs) under the California Marine Life Protection Act.
Southern California's famed coastline boasts some of the most diverse and spectacular undersea habitats in the world, from the chilly waters and open coast of Gaviota near Santa Barbara to the kelp-lined beaches along the San Diego County Coast.
Eight offshore islands ring southern California's nearshore waters, while world renowned coastal destinations such as the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Orange County's coves and headlands, the coastline of the Santa Monica Mountains State Recreation Area, Santa Monica Bay, Point Mugu State beach in Ventura County, and the Malibu coastline make southern California's ocean resources truly worth protecting.
The idyllic and tranquil surface of our coastal waters mask significant and growing problems, however. Years of unwise coastal development, urban runoff and pollution, and intense fishing pressure have reduced the historic bounty of these waters to a fraction of what our grandfathers knew.
Scientists have documented grave declines in once-abundant species, jeopardizing both the health of coastal economies and the health of ocean ecosystems. Marine protected areas -- including marine reserves where human activity is limited to visitation, appreciation and enjoyment, but not harvest -- are a simple and urgently needed way to ensure future generations will enjoy the same or better coastal experience than we enjoy today.
Much like the historic and successful effort to bring MPAs to the Channel Islands a few years ago (and extended into federal waters last year), MPAs will be established through a thorough public process. And like the Channel Islands effort, involvement and activism by those who know and love the southern California coast will be essential to a successful outcome!