Data
The South Coast region includes all state waters along the California coastline from Point Conception to the California/Mexico border, including the Channel Islands.
Status of the MPAs: MPAs In Effect
On December 15, 2010, the California Fish and Game Commission adopted a regional MPA network for the South Coast. These MPAs took effect on January 1, 2012. For more information on the South Coast MPAs, see the Department of Fish and Game MLPA Initiative South Coast Study Region website.
Status of MPA Monitoring: Baseline Program Underway
Developing a Long-Term Monitoring Plan
The Monitoring Enterprise has completed the South Coast MPA Monitoring Plan, which was adopted by the Fish and Game Commission on August 3, 2011. Working with the Department of Fish and Game, we led a consultative process, involving stakeholders and scientists, to apply the MPA monitoring framework to the region and capture the unique ecological and socioeconomic aspects of the South Coast. (See MPA Monitoring 101: Taking the Pulse of Ocean Ecosystems for more details about the monitoring framework.) This broad, inclusive process ensures that monitoring is responsive to management needs, reflects stakeholder priorities and incorporates the best available science.
Launching a Baseline Program
The California Ocean Protection Council has awarded $4M to support the South Coast MPA Baseline Program, which will be the first step in implementing MPA monitoring. A South Coast MPA Baseline Program Request for Proposals was released in February 2011, and proposals received were reviewed through an independent peer review process administered by California Sea Grant. The ten projects selected for funding are listed in the awards announcement.
The South Coast Baseline program will provide a summary of ecological and socioeconomic conditions, inside and outside South Coast MPAs, at or near the time the MPAs take effect. It will also measure key socioeconomic and ecological changes in the first 2-3 years following MPA implementation. A more complete description of the program is provided in the South Coast MPA Baseline Program RFP.
