The mission of the Sonoma MPA Collaborative is to connect and empower community stewards to promote the long-term sustainability of Sonoma Coast marine ecosystems. 

The Sonoma Collaborative includes scientific institutions, fishing representatives,  NGOs, tribal governments, representatives, and individual indigenous peoples, community members, ocean businesses, and agencies interested in raising awareness of marine protected areas amongst coastal residents and visitors. 

The collaborative recently partnered with the Mendocino Collaborative on a pilot project testing the effectiveness of LED highway signs at gaining compliance with MPA regulations. Three pilot signs were placed at various locations near MPAs with distinct and locally-relevant messages and an evaluation was completed to determine impact.  

Past projects include putting together an engaging outreach campaign on Sonoma Coast protected areas targeting local residents, tribes, the fishing community, students, and millions of coastal visitors. To reach this diverse audience, the Collaborative produced four themed video modules, including a video in partnership with the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians that was an official selection for the Wild and Scenic Film Festival, and distributed them using the internet, social media, coastal tourist venues, Sonoma County schools and a mobile marine education vehicle developed by Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods.