The San Diego Collaborative includes diverse representatives from over 30 organizations across San Diego County. Since its inception in 2012, the Collaborative has worked to identify and address numerous issues surrounding local marine protected areas, beginning with a successful request to the Fish and Game Commission to add a “no collecting” icon to State Marine Reserve signage. Members have spearheaded signage installation and development and produced and distributed 10,000 recreational brochures and fishing guides across San Diego County to enhance local understanding and compliance with marine protected areas. They have also worked to integrate Kumeyaay tribal practices and history into local interpretive panels and recreational brochures.

MPA Community Compliance Forum

The MPA Collaborative Network held Community Compliance Forums for each coastal county as part of a multi-year Compliance Initiative funded by the Ocean Protection Council. The Forums provided space for local stakeholders to voice their MPA, ocean, and coastal compliance concerns and brainstorm ideas to address those concerns. 

1. View the San Diego County MPA Compliance Forum Report
2. View the Statewide MPA Compliance Forums Report

San Diego Wildlife and Recreation Guide

The San Diego Collaborative created, printed, and distributed 8000 copies of the San Diego MPA Wildlife and Recreation Guide to increase public knowledge of MPAs and improve compliance with MPA regulations. The recreation guide boasts an inset of beautiful species illustrations that can be shared across the region.

• San Diego Wildlife and Recreation Guide

MPA Outreach Toolkits

The San Diego Collaborative created MPA Curriculum for grades 1st – 5th, 6th – 8th, and High School.  Curricula focuses on the Sandy Shore Habitat, Intertidal Habitat, Climate Change and MPA Science, and MPA Watch.  OutreachToolkits were produced to feature the new MPA curriculum. Lesson plans are conveniently packaged along with materials and related activities for environmental educators. One hundred Outreach Toolkits are to be distributed to teachers and docent groups in San Diego County to improve MPA education, outreach, compliance and stewardship among approximately 3,000 students and MPA visitors in San Diego County. 

• Complete MPA Outreach Toolkit
• Individual Components of Toolkit:
  • Rocky Intertidal: Desiccation Lab (Grades 1-5)
  • Sandy Shore: All Waterways Lead to the Ocean (Grades 6-8)
  • Rocky Intertidal: Intertidal Transects (Grades 6-8)
  • Sandy Shore: MPA Watch (Grades 9-12)
  • Rocky Intertidal: Intertidal Bioblitz (Grades 9-12)
  • Climate Change: Feeling the Heat (Grades 9-12)
  • MPA Watch Outdoor Education Instructor Pack
  • Living on the Edge: Field Guide to the Rocky Intertidal
  • Life in the Sand: Field Guide to Sandy Shores
  • MPA Tidepool Journal
  • MPA Activity Brochure for Kids
  • Ocean Literacy Guide
  • Talking Trash and Taking Action Guide
  • Our Undersea Legacy MPA Curriculum (Grades 6-8)
  • Underwater Parks Posters

The “Floating Laboratory” Project

WILDCOAST, partnering with Crystal Cove Conservancy and Seaforth Landing, takes students on citizen science cruises in the South La Jolla MPAs where they gather and analyze data on marine wildlife and ocean conditions.