Environment |

Marine Protected Areas along California’s coast see success in first decade

California’s coastline is among the most diverse ecosystems on the planet and its protection the last 10 years through 124 separately designated areas has made the state a model and envy nationally and internationally.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife recently released its first study following the first decade since the creation of an ecologically connected network of Marine Protected Areas, or MPAs, and the results are promising, especially in Southern California’s Los Angeles and Orange counties, said Stephen Wertz, a senior scientist and manager of the wildlife agency’s Marine Protected Areas Management Project.

Now, officials at the wildlife department are waiting for it to be accepted as the first-of-its-kind network globally by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Wertz said.

Among the report’s most significant findings is the growth and variety of sea life, include kelp, that has rebounded in the MPAs, which were previously heavily fished before being designated as protected areas and “no-take zones” where fish and other life can’t be removed, said Wertz, adding that the network’s overall success has led to a host of queries from groups both nationally and internationally that want to replicate the model used in California for their own conservation efforts.

Data also shows that the protected areas are seeing fewer of the negative impacts of climate change.

As an example, when the Pacific Ocean saw warming between 2014 and 2016, researchers found the protected preserves had fewer ill effects than other ecological areas statewide, the report found.

By establishing areas where the marine life, including plants, are protected from fishing or being removed, “the species responded really fast” and now those protected areas are much more diverse than other parts of the coast, Wertz said, adding the benefit extends beyond the MPAs. “Having a safe haven away from fishing is very important and when they reach capacity, there is spillover outside the MPAs.”

The state’s 1999 Marine Life Protection Act mandated the redesign of California’s patchwork of marine protected areas, which was finalized in 2012, creating a network of protected areas along the coast. In Southern California, there are 50 MPAs and two areas designated as resting places for marine mammals and seabirds.

Among the most significant MPAs in Los Angeles County at Point Dume in Malibu that features sandy beaches, a rocky shoreline, kelp forests, surfgrass beds and deep submarine canyons. Another key area is at Point Vincente in Rancho Palos Verdes at Abalone Cove. The county also includes MPAs around Catalina Island.

In Orange County, the Bolsa Chica reserve covers a square mile along Coast Highway in Huntington Beach and includes 1,200 acres of the Bolsa Chica saltwater wetlands. Upper Newport Bay has an upland lagoon habitat with flat and coastal marshland. At Crystal Cove State Park, the protected area includes more than 3 square miles.

And in Laguna Beach, almost the entire coastline is an MPA and includes protection for more than 6 square miles of rocky and sandy habitats, including diverse rocky intertidal and shallow kelp reefs out to depths of more than 1,200 feet.

“In Laguna, we’re seeing a big increase in the number of California sheepshead, kelp bass and lobster,” Wertz said, adding that getting it protected was controversial in the beginning because of the amount of recreational and commercial fishing done in waters near the rocky outcroppings and towering cliffs. “Laguna was very important to protect because it played a pivotal role. It bridges San Diego and Los Angeles counties.”

Evolution and enforcement

In the 10 years since the network of MPAs was created, research and monitoring has changed with science and outreach became even more important tool in their success, officials said. Now, instead of volunteers handing out brochures at tidepools, shorelines and bays, a lot of information is available online with interactive maps and promoted on social media to help educate more people headed to the shore.

Enforcement has also improved with a dedicated team of wardens keeping watch over the sensitive areas. Fines reflect the gravity of violations and, recently, an electronic monitoring system has helped identify hot spots and trends. A new fleet of boats has also changed enforcement dynamics, said Capt. Patrick Foy, from the department’s law enforcement arm.

Large busts over the last decade, Foy said, “have significantly reduced marine poaching activities for commercial and recreational fishing activities, alike, by creating a deterrent.”

Among the areas in Southern California that have emerged as hot spots of violations is Catalina Island’s Blue Cavern protected area. It has had the greatest number of violations in Los Angeles County, Wertz said. But Abalone Cove Park and Point Vicente in Rancho Palos Verdes have also had higher numbers of violators, as has the Bolsa Chica Basin in Orange County.

Public outreach

Across the state, there are hundreds of local environmental groups and research programs that spread the word about the rules of the MPAs to the public.

Among them is the Laguna Bluebelt Coalition, a group that was critical in getting the Laguna Beach shoreline preserved.

Mike Beanan, the group’s co-founder, said he has seen first hand the resurgence of species as he dives among large groups of rockfish and sees hearty-sized lobsters in rock crevices in coves of north Laguna Beach.

“We’re seeing schools of fish and a dramatic reduction of sea urchin, which helps the kelp come back,” he said. “It seems throughout Laguna, there’s a dramatic increase.”

Beanan credits the improvement to the teamwork of local ocean-oriented groups and the city’s lifeguards, who each play a role in educating the public.

“A lot of people were unhappy about this because of the (impact) on fishing, but now I think just about everyone is seeing how valuable the protected areas are to help sea life recover,” he said. “It can take 20 to 30 years for some fish to mature and produce more fish.”

Recently, the Ocean Institute in Dana Point Harbor hosted Ray Heimstra, associate director of policy and projects for Orange County Coastkeeper, to introduce the public to more ways they can become involved in protecting some of the state’s most precious shoreline resources.

Heimstra’s presentation included an overview of the 10 years of monitoring and then hands-on training at the tidepools behind the institute. Having volunteers familiar with the MPAs and the rules out among people hanging out at the shore can help officials track if the protections need to be stepped up, said Kelsey Reimer, who works in program development at the institute.

Last week’s presentation will be the first of many introductions to becoming an MPA Watch volunteer that will be held, she said.

“If people don’t know about the MPAs or their importance, they won’t care or understand,” Wertz said. “Commercial fishermen should know. But, many people come to the ocean and think, ‘Hey, I can fish here.’”

To that end, work is also being done to translate the information into other languages such as Spanish, Vietnamese and Tagalog, he said.

The success of the network is giving California and the wildlife department quite the reputation.

“Now that we’re concluding our 10-year review, we’re getting questions from people all around the world,” Wertz said. “They want to know how we did it and what makes it work. There are some people who didn’t like it, but they see the benefits. Now, fishermen are stacking up on the line (where the MPA boundaries end) and waiting to get bigger fish.”