Heal the Bay Blog

Today’s guest blogger is Dana Roeber Murray, a Heal the Bay staff scientist who works on coastal resource protection issues. 

Cold, salty water hits my face as I begin to breathe through my regulator – tiny bubbles floating up to the surface as I exhale. As I descend, light filters through the amber-hued blades of kelp as a school of golden señoritas swim past me near Big Kelp Reef in Point Dume. Once I am hovering above the ocean floor, neutrally buoyant at about 40 feet, my neoprene-wrapped body has adjusted to the chilly water and I snugly affix the end of my transect line to the top of a giant kelp holdfast. Data sheet and dive slate in one hand, transect line and flashlight in the other, I give a nod to my dive buddy, consult my compass and begin to swim at a 180-degree heading.

We’re conducting research for Reef Check, which provides data to state marine managers to make informed decisions about Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).  The data we collect is used to assess the health of rocky reefs along the California coast, from species abundance and diversity to the sizes of individual fish.

I’ve been involved in scientific diving since 2003, and have logged hundreds of surveys underwater.  I am excited to continue researching our local reefs once the new network of MPAs take effect in Southern California on Jan. 1.  MPAs are essentially underwater parks in biologically important areas of the sea, where marine life can thrive because they are protected from consumptive pressures.  The data we collect will be used to compare marine life inside and outside MPAs, and contribute to the ongoing, adaptive management of these MPAs.

Back in Point Dume, a bright orange garibaldi, California’s state marine fish, curiously peeks out from a rock cave.  I estimate its size and make a note on my datasheet.  A school of shimmery purple blacksmith envelops me and I count dozens of fish in seconds as they swim by me. Taking hold of my flashlight, I illuminate the underside of a rock ledge – prime territory for a brightly-striped treefish or a snoozing horn shark.  Instead, I find a pair of active antennae attached to a vividly-colored red spiny lobster. I make a mental note that there are lobster to find along the transect line when I survey invertebrates on the way back.  After about 10 minutes of searching, identifying, counting and sizing, I’ve completed my first fish survey of the dive.

I go on to complete two more surveys – locating beautiful chestnut cowries and spiky red urchins along my invertebrate transect, and recording the myriad of algae species along my seaweed survey. After signaling my dive buddy, we ascend slowly to the surface, completed data sheets in hand. Once we break the surface, we chat enthusiastically with other scientific divers about the fascinating animals.  “Did you see that long sevengill shark?” “You wouldn’t believe how big that purple sunflower star was!” “I found three abalones on my survey!”

While contributing to marine conservation, volunteer divers benefit through friendships forged with other like-minded divers, amazing underwater experiences, and learning first-hand about our unique kelp forest and rocky reef ecosystems.  If you’re a diver, and want to get trained to collect underwater data on MPAs, get involved with Reef Check.

Non-divers can help on land by registering as a citizen scientist with Heal the Bay’s MPA Watch program.

Come join us.

Yesterday, the California Department of Fish and Game boldly approved the official initiation of the Southern California Marine Protected Area (MPA) network. Despite the ongoing threat of litigation from fishing industry opponents, the Commission approved the October 1st start date by a 4-1 vote.

This means that the SoCal MPA network requirements will be enforceable starting this October. Fish and Game, along with community groups, environmental groups, aquaria, educational institutions, and the many groups that have been following the MPA process over the past several years, need to really focus on public education over the summer. In particular, a targeted effort on educating the wide-ranging fishing and broader ocean user community is critical for two reasons: 1 – to dispel fears of use restrictions in MPAs (for example – non-consumptive uses like surfing, diving and kayaking are NOT limited); and 2 – to provide accurate information on the consumptive use (fishing) restrictions in marine reserves (no take of any marine life) and marine conservation areas (limited take – usually affecting only the commercial fishing industry).

Meanwhile, Heal the Bay will continue its research on how the Malibu MPAs and adjacent coastal waters are used by visitors and commercial fishermen. This baseline data will prove critical as a point of comparison to assess changes in consumptive and non-consumptive uses in the new MPAs and adjacent waters.  If you’re interested in walking Malibu’s beaches and observing and tracking uses for this research effort, visit our site to get involved.

The recent Census of Marine Life findings that the CA Current has incredibly rich species diversity, equivalent to the Serengheti of the sea, as well as the International Earth System Expert Workshop results warning of pending marine species collapse, show the importance of these MPAs.

As the new MPAs take effect this fall, we should celebrate this historic move to help safeguard SoCal’s ocean economy and environment for the future.

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After two years of marathon stakeholder negotiation sessions, endless contentious public hearings and reams of studies and environmental documents, the California Department of Fish and Game today finally established a network of Marine Protected Areas in Southern California, passing a slightly revised version of the Integrated Preferred Alternative by a 3-2 vote.

The final vote reflects tough compromise. The maps protect some key places from extractive uses, like Point Dume, Naples and La Jolla, but fail to meet scientific guidelines in some locations. (For example, the fishermen won the battle for Rocky Point, and the MPA at Farnsworth Banks is little more than a paper park). The  commission also made a few small changes at Swami’s and La Jolla in San Diego County.

The final hearing and vote took place in Santa Barbara, a fitting location given that the northern Channel Islands became  California’s first designated marine protected areas years ago.

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