MPA update: A deep dive into the mid-depth rocky reef

Jan 19, 2021 | 4MPA Research and Monitoring, Field Stories, New Research

Just beyond California’s kelp forests, patches of rock and sandy seafloor stretch from about 100 feet to over 300 feet deep at the edge of the continental shelf in what scientists call the mid-depth rocky reef ecosystem. This zone comprises around 75% of the state’s...

Diving in Crystal Cove State Marine Conservation Area

Aug 7, 2020 | 3South Coast, 4MPA Research and Monitoring, Field Stories, Orange County

Time to make some bubbles and dive into Crystal Cove State Marine Conservation Area! In this story from Todd Shanklin, Orange Coast District, California State Parks, he describes SCUBA diving in the marine protected area (MPA) adjacent to Crystal Cove State Park. On...

MPA update: Observing the space between land and sea

Jul 9, 2020 | 4MPA Research and Monitoring, Field Stories, New Research, Orange County

California researchers spend hours crouched over rocky intertidal zones across the state, piecing together how best to protect marine life.When 11 million gallons of crude oil spewed from the Exxon Valdez oil tanker into the frigid waters of Prince William Sound,...

MPA update: Monitoring California’s iconic kelp forests

Apr 30, 2020 | 4MPA Research and Monitoring, Field Stories, New Research

Some of California’s most important forests don’t have trees. Up and down the West Coast, kelp—a large, plant-like brown algae—supports marine life and local economies.“It’s really quite an iconic ecosystem,” says Mark Carr, a kelp forest ecologist from UC Santa Cruz....

MPA Update: Integrating data to assess California’s marine protected areas

Mar 31, 2020 | 4MPA Research and Monitoring, Field Stories, New Research

Magnificent kelp forests, flowing beds of vibrant green seagrass, and enigmatic deep-sea corals are interwoven by a vibrant array of inhabitants both familiar and alien. Rich habitats that support life from the smallest microorganisms to the colossal blue whale. More...

MPA update: Sandy beaches and surf zones offer clues to ocean health

Feb 5, 2020 | 4MPA Research and Monitoring, Field Stories, New Research

“One more time, I’m going to start the camera now,” Jessica Madden takes a deep breath and dives ten feet down to the sea floor, where she has just placed an instrument known as a Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV). The BRUV consists of a GoPro attached to a piece...