CalOceans News

Heading off ocean doomsday

Several reports released this week underscored the urgency of ocean protection efforts like California’s Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA).  Scientists warn that climate change, overfishing, habitat loss and acidification are driving marine systems to the brink, and cited marine protected areas as a critical part of the solution to buffer against growing pressures and allow nature to rebound.

On June 20, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)published a study that concluded the state of our oceans is more dire than previously thought and warned “this is a very serious situation demanding unequivocal action at every level. We are looking at consequences for humankind that will impact in our lifetime.”

A story in the San Francisco Chronicle noted, “damage to marine life would harm its ability to support humans.”

While the findings are grim, the IUCN report does offer concrete steps we can take to reverse the downward trend in ocean health. The report summary specifically calls for the need to… 

“establish a globally comprehensive and representative system of marine protected areas to conserve biodiversity, to build resilience, and to ensure ecologically sustainable fisheries with minimal ecological footprint.”

Also this week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a reportthat called for more marine reserves and protected areas in U.S. waters, particularly in coastal areas. It noted their value both for wildlife and for people:

“establishing a marine reserve not only protects and helps to restore the habitats and populations of organisms within the reserve, it can also support and enhance the habitats and populations throughout a region. This in turn supports human communities by protecting places and resources valued by people for their intrinsic and economic values.“

Finally, a study published in Nature on June 22 underscored the worldwide importance of the California Current, likened to the Serengeti, for the survival of top ocean predators like sharks, sea turtles and tunas. The study emphasized the value of protecting habitat “hot spots.” One of the authors was quoted in the San Diego Union Tribune calling for an ecosystem based management system (like a network of marine protected areas).

The message for California is clear: global scientific consensus supports the need for timely implementation of the MLPA. A statewide system of marine protected areas will function like an insurance policy against environmental changes, boosting resilience, enhancing our understanding of marine systems, and safeguarding vital resources. 

On June 29, the California Fish and Game Commission will meet to discuss the timeline for implementation of the southern California protected areas approved last December, and to review marine protected areas proposed for the far north coast. 

Reached via email, Dr. Mark Ohman of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, said, “It is in both the short and long term interests of the state of California to implement the MLPA plan sooner rather than later.”

With so many jobs and businesses depending on the productivity of our ocean, it’s clear that ocean protection must remain a top priority for our state, with completion of the statewide network of protections called for in the MLPA as job number one.

• Tags:
• mlpa
• Marine Protected Areas
• south coast mpa
• implementation timing
• Fish and Game Commission