About
The Golden Gate MPA Collaborative has successfully brought together environmental NGOs, agencies, fishermen, scientists, aquaria and vessel captains interested in raising awareness of marine protected areas in Marin and San Francisco counties, including the Farallon Islands.
Other Ways to Engage
Resources
CDFW North Central California MPA Guide
Oceanspaces North Central Coast MPA Monitoring Page
North Central Coast Regional Snapshot: Summaries of Baseline Monitoring Projects (.pdf)
Aquarium of the Bay Video: California’s Marine Protected Areas
Gulf of the Farallones Beach Watch Program
North Central Coast Google Marine Protected Area Tour
MPA Ambassador Program
Collaborative members engaged boat captains and docents in an ambassador program targeting visitors to Point Reyes and the Farallon Islands. Working with these ambassadors, the collaborative has developed a map-based brochure that will be used as an outreach tool, with the goal of increasing awareness and compliance of local marine protected areas.
Collaborative Co-Chairs
David McGuire
Executive Director, Shark Stewards
sharkfilms@gmail.com
David is the Founder and Director of the shark and marine conservation nonprofit “Shark Stewards”, a non-profit dedicated to protecting shrks from overfishging and the wildlife trade, and protecting critical marine habitat through regulation and policy. A marine biologist, David is a research associate at the California Academy of Sciences where he conducts shark studies in California and Hawai’i using photo identification. Through Shark Stewards, his work in media production generates advocacy campaigns from California to China. Shark Stewards introduced the first North American shark fin trade ban and led several states and international movements limiting the overfishing of sharks and the shark fin trade, including listing endangered sharks at the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species.
Shark Stewards actively partners with NOAA in our National Marine Sanctuaries and the Ocean Protection Council in our California marine protected areas, where he is Co-chair of a California MPA collaborative committee. A documentary filmmaker, David received an Emmy for Field Production and Camera on the documentary “Reefs to Rainforests” on the Biodiversity Expedition in the Philippines with the California Academy of Sciences, and has numerous awards for his conservation documentaries. Since 2007 he has been involved with the International Ocean Film Festival as a contributor, screener, and programmer, and hosts the popular shark program.
David has written and contributed to numerous publications and books, including a National Geographic column, and publishing a shark science book for youth: Sharks for Kids. He is a popular public speaker on sharks and the ocean, is a lecturer and student advisor at the University of California, Berkeley, taught in the Masters of Environmental Sciences at the University of San Francisco, and teaches at the College of Marin.
Abby Nickels
Director of Outreach and Community Engagement, Marine Applied Research and Exploration
abby@maregroup.org
Abby is a seasoned leader in the non-profit sector, currently serving as the Director of Outreach and Community Engagement at Marine Applied Research and Exploration (MARE). With over 20 years of experience in conservation research and non-profit management, Abby has expanded MARE’s reach significantly, securing essential funding and fostering strategic partnerships. She has a proven track record of directing impactful initiatives, including her work at the Aquarium of the Bay and the Greater Farallones Association. Passionate about conservation, outside of her professional work Abby is an active volunteer with environmental organizations and enjoys traveling, scuba diving, and paddleboarding in her free time.
Leslie Adler-Ivanbrook
Program Director, Environmental Action Committee of West Marin
leslie@eacmarin.org
Leslie’s lifelong passion for the natural environment—especially the ocean—has inspired her work in environmental education, ocean conservation, and climate action. With over 30 years of experience, Leslie has developed and led a variety of impactful education and coastal stewardship programs, including hands-on science field trip programs in Point Reyes, Marin County, and on the East Coast. Leslie has served in numerous leadership and advisory roles, including as the education representative on the Cordell Bank Sanctuary Advisory Council, a steering committee member of West Marin Climate Action, and a member of the Marin County Flood Zone 10 Advisory Board.
Leslie currently serves as co-chair of the Golden Gate MPA Collaborative, leads the Duxbury Docent Advisory Committee, and participates in working groups through both the MPA Collaborative and the statewide MPA Watch network. With EAC, Leslie leads programs that advance coastal science, community engagement, and marine conservation, including Marin MPA Watch, the Duxbury Docent Program, Litter Bugs Me cleanup events, and a water quality monitoring partnership with Point Reyes National Seashore. She also advocates for the protection and stewardship of California’s Marine Protected Areas, helping connect communities with the science and stewardship needed to safeguard the state’s coastal ecosystems.
Events
Projects
Golden Gate MPA Collaborative Members
This list is not meant to imply that each affiliated organization is participating in the collaborative at a formal level nor that each collaborative member is representing the official view of their affiliation. All voices and perspectives are welcome and are considered unique to the person sharing them.
Fiscal Sponsor
Earth Island Institute