About
The Monterey MPA Collaborative draws its diverse membership from the rich scientific, academic, nonprofit and agency community centered in Monterey County.
Other Ways to Engage
MPA Ambassador Program
Members have worked to incorporate marine protected area outreach and provide continued support to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary’s Bay Net and Team OCEAN Volunteer Programs and helped create a State Parks PORTS Program highlighting Point Lobos MPAs.
MPA Outreach Assessment
The collaborative worked with CSU Monterey Bay students to engage and educate local dive shops on MPAs, surveying them on best approaches for education and establishing a baseline of knowledge regarding MPAs.
Resources
CDFW Central California MPA Guide
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Bay Net Volunteer Program
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Team OCEAN Volunteer Program
Oceanspaces Central Coast MPA Monitoring Page
Sanctuary Integrated Monitoring Network: Monterey Bay
Central Coast MPAs Google Tour
Monterey Event Calendars
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Events
Pacific Grove Natural History Museum Events
Collaborative Co-Chairs
Erika Delemarre
MPA and Coastal Programs Coordinator, CA State Parks
Erika.Delemarre@parks.ca.gov
Julia O’Hern, Ph.D.
Senior Cetacean Scientist, Marine Life Studies
julia.ohern@marinelifestudies.org
Events
Monterey MPA Collaborative Meeting – Fall 2026
September 3,2026, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Monterey MPA Collaborative Meeting – Spring 2026
June 25,2026, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Joint Monterey and Santa Cruz MPA Collaborative Meeting
March 30,2026, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Monterey MPA Collaborative – Spring Meeting
May 8,2025, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Projects
Erika Delemarre
MPA and Coastal Programs Coordinator, CA State Parks
Erika.Delemarre@parks.ca.gov
Biography
An avid scuba diver and kayaker, Erika has worked on marine conservation and environmental education initiatives in countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Palau, and Iceland. While working both on and under the ocean, Erika has helped people of all ages discover and explore their unique connection with the ocean. Building stewardship through education, Erika believes together we can work to empower individuals and communities to change their practices to reduce and reverse the damage that has been done to our global ocean while working toward a sustainable future. Erika holds a Master’s in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California San Diego and Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from Northern Arizona University. She currently works as the Climate Resiliency Program Manager and the lead underwater interpretive diver for California State Parks.
Julia O’Hern, Ph.D.
Senior Cetacean Scientist, Marine Life Studies
julia.ohern@marinelifestudies.org
Biography
Julia O’Hern is a Senior Cetacean Scientist with Marine Life Studies, a non-profit organization in Moss Landing, CA dedicated to marine research and wildlife rescue. Julia is a responder with the Large Whale Disentanglement Network, working under a federal permit to rescue large whales entangled in marine debris. Her research explores the complex interplay between oceanography and whale behavior in the Pacific Ocean with a particular emphasis on the role that human activity plays in that system. This research is vital toward promoting a healthy human relationship with our marine environment. Julia is also passionate about improving safety at sea and access to marine science. She is an instructor with the Scientific Boating Safety Association and a captain with several eco-tourism companies.
Monterey 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.