Leila Monroe's Blog: Reviving the World's Oceans

Disaster on Gulf Offshore Platform: a Grim Tragedy on this 40th Earth Day

2010-04-23T18:06:36Z

The disastrous explosion, fire, and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico is a tragic reminder that offshore oil and gas exploration is dangerous business. This is a terrible loss – a loss no one wanted to see, but unfortunately, one that many families now have to face. Our hearts go out to the loved ones of the 17 workers who were injured and those 11 who are still missing.

The rig burned for 30 hours before sinking into about 5000 feet of water 50 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana. Although it is often claimed that advanced technology makes offshore oil and gas exploration safe, this and other accidents show that even the most state-of-the art operations still involve very serious dangers for workers and the environment.

The measure of environmental impacts of the accident are yet unknown, but there will almost certainly be significant ecological and economic costs in the Gulf region. Coast Guard investigators interviewed by CNN stated that the Deepwater Horizon rig was producing about 336,000 gallons per day of crude oil – it currently is unknown whether and how much oil is leaking into the ocean from the well head. The Coast Guard also stated that about 700,000 gallons of diesel fuel could leak into the ocean from the sunken rig.

On the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, the Deepwater catastrophe was a strong reminder that there are significant dangers associated with offshore oil and gas exploration. As the debate over our nation’s energy future is expected to heat up in Washington next week, this tragedy will serve as an unfortunate reminder that we should focus on energy efficiency and clean energy alternatives, rather than increasing our reliance on dirty fuels and dangerous technologies.

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Obama’s "Something for Everyone" Approach to Energy Security Misses the Mark by Opening Major New Offshore Areas to Oil and Gas Exploration

2010-04-01T02:41:18Z

The email traffic and phone calls surged to a flood this morning as we waited with baited breath for clues on whether new offshore oil and gas development would be pursued under President Obama’s plan for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) defines the OCS as all submerged lands lying seaward of state coastal waters (typically 3 miles offshore) which are under U.S. jurisdiction. Under the OCSLA, the Secretary of the Interior is responsible for the administration of mineral exploration and development of the OCS, which covers 1.7 billion acres. Our hope was that the President would focus on the development of clean renewable energy and energy efficiency, rather than exposing our precious ocean and coastal resources to the serious risk of long-term damage from expanded offshore drilling activities.

Our ocean is a tremendous resource providing important ecological and economic services and generating billions of dollars each year for the Nation. A majority of this value is attributable to tourism and recreation, which in 2004 contributed more than $116 billion to the nation’s GDP. Our marine fisheries rely on healthy oceans: a 2006 report found that the commercial fishing industry generated over $103 billion in sales and $44.3 billion in income, and supported more than 1.5 million jobs in 2006; expenditures by recreational fishermen contributed $82 billion in sales to the U.S. economy and supported over 500,000 jobs.

Today, President Obama and Secretary Salazar announced that their plan for offshore oil and gas development will include the following activities:

Proceeding with exploration of existing leases in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas in the Arctic Ocean as soon as this summer;
Study of potential new areas for development in the mid and south Atlantic, (although the President says they will employ exploration technologies that reduce the impact of oil exploration, as NRDC Senior Policy Analyst Michael Jasny reports, science shows that the industry’s airguns disrupt the marine environment on a massive scale);
New drilling activities in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico in areas currently under federal moratorium (and which would need Congressional action to proceed); and
Delay of new leasing in the Arctic until the U.S. Geological Survey assesses information about resources, risks, and environmental sensitivities in the Arctic (though existing exploration activities would be allowed to proceed).

We do support the Administration’s decision not to pursue new drilling off California, Oregon, Washington or the North Atlantic. Also positive is the decision to withdraw Alaska's Bristol Bay from consideration for oil and gas development through 2017. However, the continuation of seismic and exploratory drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas is dangerous and most unfortunate. While the Administration, on the one hand, recognizes the extreme sensitivity of the Arctic and the severe impact it has already sustained from climate change as reasons to delay further oil and gas leasing for two years, on the other hand, it is defying these facts by allowing seismic and exploratory drilling to go forward. The subsistence way of life of Native Inupiat Eskimos could also be seriously threatened by these activities, and there is risk of extreme impacts to marine mammals as diverse as polar bears, walrus, ice seals, Bowhead and beluga whales.

Image, New York Times

Offshore oil and gas drilling is contrary to developing the clean energy future that our Nation needs. In President Obama’s remarks today, he argued that new offshore drilling is a common-sense approach in the short-term; but offshore drilling poses long-term risks to our oceans, sea life and coastal communities, and the economic interests which they support. America has better solutions than to drill our oceans and coastlines, and President Obama should focus his attention completely on those 21st century solutions that reinforce our transition to a clean energy economy.

NRDC’s President Frances Beinecke stated today: “We need comprehensive solutions for America’s clean energy future— and more offshore drilling in America’s oceans does not fit in that picture. Offshore drilling carries significant environmental risks, without truly increasing our energy independence. There are many areas that are just too sensitive for offshore drilling, which threatens our oceans, sea life and coastal communities, including economic interests in these areas. America has better solutions than to drill in our pristine waters— which needs more research and investigation– and we should be pursuing these options.”

The truth is that the risk of major environmental damage – from the drilling process, tankers and leaking or broken pipelines – is real. Despite our best efforts and intentions, oil spills still occur and even the best advancements in technologies cannot remove the danger of human error, technological failure, and accidents, resulting in significant environmental harm:

In the fall of 2009, a massive oil spill occurred off the coast of Australia. This incident destroyed a brand new offshore rig, spewed oil for 10 weeks, and could not be plugged for five months.
In September 2008, Hurricane Ike destroyed oil platforms, tanks, and pipelines throughout the Gulf of Mexico, releasing at least a half million gallons of crude oil. Previously, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused 125 spills from platforms, rigs, and pipelines in the OCS, releasing almost 685,000 gallons of petroleum products.

Further, drilling in one state, such as Virginia, doesn't mean that the risks from drilling are confined to that state. Contamination from the massive 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill reached shorelines nearly 600 miles away; if the spill had occurred on the East Coast, it would have extended from Massachusetts to North Carolina.

It’s time to realize that we can’t drill our way to a clean energy economy. We need to protect our ocean and coastal resources, and the communities and jobs they support, from the dangers of offshore drilling.

NRDC vs. Offshore Oil & Gas: New Developments in an Old Fight

2010-02-25T22:04:58Z

Whether it is a massive oil-spill like the three million gallons that fouled 40 miles of ~~barrels that covered 800 square miles~~ Santa Barbara coastline with toxic ooze in 1969 or the August 21, 2009 Timor Sea blowout that destroyed a brand new offshore rig, spewed oil for 10 weeks, and could not be plugged for five months, -- offshore oil and gas activities (leasing, exploration, development, production) can have catastrophic impacts on our ocean and coastal ecosystems and economies. Even the “routine” activities associated with offshore oil and gas exploration can have very significant impacts on marine mammals, water quality, and the ocean and coastal ecosystems that California depends upon to sustain its economy. Other examples of the many hazards posed by offshore oil and gas development are evident in the list maintained by the Minerals Management Service of investigations underway of serious accidents on offshore platforms. [Please note, the erroneous citation of the size of the Santa Barbara oil spill has been corrected.]

NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration maintains a photo gallery with pictures of blowouts and spills that the agency has helped to cleanup.

For decades, NRDC’s expert staff such as Chuck Clusen, Director of National Parks and Alaska Projects, or California Advocacy Director, Annie Notthoff, have been fighting to protect coastal and ocean ecosystems -- which are so important both to the natural environment and the humans that rely on the services these ecosystems provide -- and to prevent the expansion of new offshore oil and gas activities that threaten these ecosystems.

Most recently, in January 2010, NRDC and other conservation and Alaska Native groups called for a timeout on oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean's Chukchi Sea, filing a legal challenge against Shell Oil's permit to drill in the region next summer. NRDC and the other plaintiffs are being represented by Earthjustice. The U.S. Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service (MMS) approved drilling in the Chukchi Sea after doing only an abbreviated and internal review of the potential harms and despite significant concerns surrounding Shell's oil leases.

"The Obama administration has prioritized moving to clean energy and addressing climate change, and protecting the Arctic from drilling should be part of that approach," said Chuck Clusen. "As we move forward with cutting carbon pollution at home and around the world, the Department of Interior should make better choices for the Arctic, and not give in to the unreasonable demands of the oil industry."

Under Shell's plan, a huge 514-foot-long drill ship and an armada of support vessels and aircraft would patrol the waters of the icy Arctic Ocean, generating industrial noise in the ocean, emitting tons of air pollutants, including heat-trapping gases, and thousands of barrels of water pollutants. The Chukchi Sea is habitat for endangered bowhead whales, threatened polar bears, walrus and a host of other wildlife -- many of which are vital to sustaining the thousands-year old subsistence way of life of Alaska Native coastal communities. These activities also bring the serious threats of devastating oil spills.

Here are a few more examples of NRDC efforts to raise awareness and combat the threats to our ocean ecosystems and economy posed by new offshore oil and gas exploration activities:

Throughout 2009 and into 2010, NRDC and nearly three dozen California environmental organizations have strongly opposed a proposal --included in the Governor’s budget for 2010-11 -- to allow the first new offshore oil drilling in California waters in over 40 years. – Leila Monroe, 7/23/09

For decades, NRDC’s senior attorney Sarah Chasis and senior policy advocate Lisa Speer fought for protection of sensitive ocean areas from offshore leasing through litigation and then congressionally-established moratoria. Unfortunately, these decades-old protections were lifted as a knee-jerk reaction to the high gas prices delivered to consumers by the Big Oil companies in the summer of 2008. This was especially bad news for those concerned about the impacts of oil spills . – Kate Slusark, 3/24/09

Although President Bush did oversee the creation of a large National Marine Sanctuary, overall he had an abysmal record on the environment, including a major assault on our oceans by opening up our waters to new oil drilling off our beaches.– Sarah Chasis 1/7/09

Offshore oil and gas drilling could cause permanent damage to our beaches and coastal economies - threatening serious impacts to our $32 billion commercial fishing and $60 billion tourism and recreation industries. Tourism alone supports more than 3.5 million jobs in the coastal U.S. states - and the number of jobs in states with new drilling would pale in comparison to those that rely on oil-free beaches. New drilling risks oil spills from Florida to Maine, and all along the Pacific Coast. This could not only cause tremendous damage to fishing and tourism industries, destroy habitat for plants and animals, but also hurt all of us who live, work and vacation in these places. We all remember the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez spill. If that occurred on the East Coast, it would have extended from Massachusetts to North Carolina. No one wants that. – Sarah Chasis 2/11/09

No amount of new offshore drilling is going to satisfy the world's growing demand for the fossil fuel. Moreover, it's a needless risk -- to our environment and coastal economies -- at a time when there are better solutions to provide efficient, clean energy for America. – Rob Perks, 10/31/08

Offshore drilling is a needless risk, and there are better solutions to provide efficient, clean energy for America's future. – Frances Beinecke, 10/23/2008

Proponents of drilling like to position themselves as trying to save Americans money at the gas pump. Yet Congressional allies of the oil industry have voted against efficiency and energy independence bills 61 times [in 2008] alone--effectively delaying relief from high gas prices and America's addiction to oil. – Frances Beinecke, 9/16/08

The President is making an effort to set aside underwater national parks in the Pacific Ocean – that action is important and should not be discounted. However, if Mr. Bush wants to be known for leaving behind a blue legacy – he can't push to lift the moratorium that protects our nation’s coastlines from oil drilling. – Kate Slusark, 9/4/08

Offshore oil gets dragged once again onto the political scene, it’s worth remembering the environmental costs that led to the adoption of an offshore moratorium in the first place. One of the seminal events in the modern environmental movement was the 1969 blow-out of Union Oil Platform A, which sent millions of gallons of crude into the Santa Barbara Channel and tarred beaches for miles along the California coast.” -- Michael Jasny, June 19, 2008

Experts at Annual Science Convention To Review Studies Showing Marine Protected Areas Restore Ocean Ecosystems

2010-02-19T04:51:49Z

This week, marine science, policy and real-world conservation all converge in sunny San Diego. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is holding their annual meeting and the science behind marine protected areas will be an important topic of discussion. San Diego is also part of the southern California region of marine protected areas that is currently being designed with the extensive input of citizens and scientists, under the Marine Life Protection Act.

I am happy to be attending the AAAS meeting, not just to hear from preeminent scientists about the latest studies demonstrating the effectiveness of marine protected areas, but also to moderate a panel on marine spatial planning, and to get in touch with the resource that I love dearly, enjoying some early morning surf sessions in warmer southern California waters.

Today, the San Diego Union-Tribune offered a preview of some of the important science justifying the creation of marine reserves that will be reviewed at AAAS. For example, Stephen Palumbi, a marine science professor at Stanford University says that the basic science is solid: marine protected areas increase the health and vitality of marine life inside the reserves. “[T]here are probably 120 to 150 studies of how reserves function within their borders, and even small reserves tend to give positive results.” Dr. Palumbi will be presenting some of his findings this Saturday at AAAS.

The article also quotes Paul Dayton, an oceanography professor at the Scripps Institution for Oceanography at UC San Diego who served on the science advisory team helping to develop the south coast marine protected areas: “We know what the benefit will be for the species in the reserves -- They will increase in density, and they will increase in size.”

Buy Your Badge of Honor – Support California's Natural Resources With a Warden Stamp

2010-01-06T20:51:28Z

Whether you’re a tree hugger or a hook-and-bullet type, whether you love to eat fish or swim with them, hunt forest animals or observe them through binoculars -- California’s Fish and Game Wardens protect your beloved natural resources. The Wardens oversee hunting and fishing to prevent poaching, investigate crimes, collect and preserve evidence, write reports, and testify in court. The Wardens work hard Game Wardens work hard to educate people, including school children, about the importance of resource conservation, pollution prevention, and the value of a healthy natural environment.

The work of the Wardens is essential to enforce many of the natural resources management laws that NRDC strongly supports.

The Game Wardens are also federally deputized law enforcement officers with tough and dangerous jobs. A mere 385 Game Wardens patrol and protect California’s approximately 1,100 miles of coastline, 159,000 square miles of land, 30,000 miles of streams and rivers, and 220,000 square miles of ocean from the shore to 200 miles out at sea. The Warden’s often work alone, patrolling on foot, boat, plane, and all-terrain vehicles.

Despite their challenging work, the Wardens receive modest compensation and have suffered equipment and staff shortages from the state’s economic downturns and resulting budget cuts. To give the public an opportunity to directly support the work of the Wardens, a new “Game Warden Stamp” is now for sale. These “stamps” are actually decals you can put on your bike, car, boat, water bottle, or anywhere else to proudly display your support for the Wardens and their work to protect the precious resources that make California so special.

Proceeds from the sale of these stamps goes to support the Wardens and pay for:

New communications and surveillance devices;
Protective equipment;
Special training; and
New law enforcement programs, such as the DFG’s K-9 Program.

No matter how you choose to enjoy the outdoors, supporting the hard-working Wardens is a great idea. Please take a moment to buy a Warden Stamp or a bunch of them to share with family and friends.

Living Legends: Chumash Cultural Revitalization is Closely Tied to the Health of the Ocean

2009-12-02T17:37:31Z

Abalone shells and other artifacts left by the Chumash people thousands of years ago give important clues to the original abundance of the valuable and, in southern California, dramatically overfished abalone. OnEarth's article "Riddle of the Shells," by Sharon Levy, discusses how investigation of ancient levels of abalone can help to tackle the problem of "shifting baseline syndrome" in which fishermen and resource managers judge population abundance based on what they have seen in their lifetime, rather than much older historic population highs.

The Chumash people have lived in Southern California, from present day Morro Bay to Malibu and out to the Channel Islands, for over 13,000 years. Their maritime culture and traditions offer not only historical information; Chumash knowledge of marine ecosystems and present efforts to revitalize their cultural and natural heritage also play a vital role in helping to protect and better manage ocean resources for current and future generations.

I spoke with a member of the Chumash tribe about the importance and interrelation of Chumash culture and the revitalization of coastal ecosystems. The Chumash people are not unlike the abalone off our coasts: they once thrived sustainably, then saw their populations devastated, and are now moving towards restoration. Indeed, the abalone until recent times has been a staple item in the Chumash diet for millennia, as indicated by the San Miguel and other shell mounds. The shells themselves continue to be a resource of primary importance for the making of traditional tools, ornamentation, and ceremonial artifacts. For the Chumash, culture includes important traditional activities such as canoe building, singing, dancing and the recent completion of the Syuxtun Story Circle mosaic in Santa Barbara. Canoes, particularly the redwood plank 'tomol', used for both transportation and fishing, were once an essential part of the Chumash maritime-based life. Since 1976 -- when the first canoe was built in modern times after a 142-yearhiatus marked by the disbanding of the Brotherhood of the Canoe in 1834 -- the Chumash have celebrated the reincorporation of canoe building and sailing as an important part of cultural revitalization. Beginning in September 2001, hundreds of Chumash have gathered almost annually in celebration on the island of Limuw (Santa Cruz Island) to greet the tomol, 'Elye'wun, and her crew following the Channel crossing from Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard.

An important essay on Tribal Marine Protected Areas discusses how the Chumash people and other coastal indigenous nations are restoring their heritage of intimacy with the sea for the dual purpose of protecting the ocean, and as a means of rediscovering dignity and identity. The ecological and cultural significance of south-central California's marine environment has led some Chumash to participate in the process of establishing marine protected areas off California's coast.

Blue Ribbon Task Force Concedes to Difficult Compromise for South Coast Marine Protected Areas

2009-11-11T21:30:14Z

The last few weeks have epitomized the historic process and passionate public participation integral to the creation of marine protected areas off California's Coast. The Blue Ribbon Task Force of experts spent three days between October 20-22th intensely deliberating the options for a network of protected areas off the South Coast, between Point Conception and the California/Mexico Border. The issue inspired passionate participation from many different groups, including some industry interests who used underhanded tactics and junk science to try to stop the creation of marine protected areas altogether. When the Task Force was unable to resolve all issues in the October meeting, they reconvened on November 10th for yet another round of deliberation, public comment, and careful review.

At the October and November meetings combined, over 1,500 public comment cards were submitted and hundreds of people waited many hours to offer their perspective as public comment. The Task Force also received tens of thousands of letters and emails representing every perspective on this important public decision.

The experts had a Herculean task before them and did a commendable job of reviewing the science evaluations and synthesizing constructive public comment. At the end of a very long day, the Task Force unanimously voted on a preferred alternative that pulled together elements of the different stakeholder options. Although Conservationists were disappointed with important missed opportunities for ecosystem restoration, the preferred alternative contained something for everyone. As Garth Murphy, a member of the South Coast regional stakeholder group commented, the preferred network achieved habitat for humanity, rather than habitat over humanity. Click here for maps of the options the Task Force considered. At the four most hotly contested areas along the South Coast, the Task Force adopted:

Option 1 at Point Dume, slightly moving the western border of the marine reserve to a river mouth.
Option 2 at Palos Verdes. This leaves Rocky Point, a coveted fishing spot, completely open, and creates a significant gap in persistent kelp and shallow rocky reef (which is critical nursery habitat), right in the middle of the network. This gap is a major problem because Rocky Point - called the "jewel" of the network because it has the highest larval production, according to bioeconomic models - would have increased the effectiveness of the MPA network, even if only partially protected.
Option 2 in Orange County, with a small boundary adjustment to increase the feasibility of compliance and enforcement.
Option 2 in San Diego was chosen to minimize potential impacts on and address concerns of fishermen. The protected areas at La Jolla are below minimum size, but still include high quality kelp and reef habitats (Option 1 would have met science guidelines with a minimum size MPA at La Jolla). The protected area at Swami's also includes diverse habitat.

Although the chosen preferred alternative will certainly be better than the current skeleton of protection now in place - the Task Force made some compromises, especially at Palos Verdes, that run contrary to the science and will increase the risk that the network will fail to achieve the essential purposes of the Marine Life Protection Act.

We appreciate the experts' effort to strike a compromise, but it is important to know that the preferred alternative adopted by the Task Force offers significantly less protection than the networks that have been adopted in the Central Coast and the North Central Coast. As Kaitilin Gaffney of the Ocean Conservancy stated in her public comment, this alternative is "pretty close to the bone" with minimum size reserves (protecting a smaller range of species than preferred size) and maximum spacing (creating a gap in larval exchange).

Karen Garrison of NRDC encouraged the Task Force to keep in mind the enormous pressure that we put on our coasts and the value of ensuring healthy ecosystems for generations yet unborn to enjoy. Fortunately, the preferred alternative includes iconic places like Naples Reef, Point Dume Canyon and La Jolla South. It also protects some high quality kelp, rocky reef pinnacle and canyon habitats.

Decision Delayed for South Coast Marine Protected Areas

2009-10-23T18:26:24Z

After 3 days of extensive meetings and a reported 1500 people showing up to give public comment, the Blue Ribbon Task Force ultimately delayed their vote to choose a preferred alternative network of marine protected areas for the South Coast of California. The task force members and staff should be highly commended for their solid commitment to this process, demonstrated by many long hours of meetings, very late nights, patient dialogue, and careful evaluation of data, science guidelines, and extensive public input.

The task force decided to delay the vote because there are still key areas where an acceptable balance could not be struck between meeting the science guidelines and accounting for the concerns and input of stakeholders. The Task Force requested additional scientific information to help them make their decision.

The delay may be a bit frustrating for the hundreds of school kids, teachers, and citizens who traveled from around the South Coast to voice their opinion at this meeting, but it does show that the Task Force is committed to careful deliberation and making the best choice possible.

The Task Force is planning to reconvene on November 10, in Los Angeles, to vote on their preferred network. If you have not done so already, we encourage you to send the Task Force an email or letter in support of the conservation plan, Proposal 3, because it will best serve the people and wildlife of Southern California. The conservation plan focuses on protecting high quality habitat that is critical for sea life and supports the diving, swimming, kayaking, and many other activities that make coastal tourism and recreation a $110 billion/year driver of California's economy.

Decision Day for South Coast Marine Protected Area Task Force, Part 2

2009-10-22T22:52:53Z

The task force is passing all three marine protected area options developed by the regional stakeholder group -- the Conservation, Fishing, and Middle-ground proposals -- on to Department of Fish and Game. These proposals will be reviewed as part of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process.

In order to address outstanding questions and concerns raised by the hundreds of stakeholders who have presented their views, the task force asked the staff of the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative to come up with additional options, known as "A" and "B". The task force is now listening to stakeholders and scientists to consider the pros and cons of all these options. Watch the hearing live.

PSA: "MPAs Work," featuring Pierce Brosnan

Decision Day for South Coast Marine Protected Area Task Force, Part 1

2009-10-22T19:42:27Z

Yesterday, the Blue Ribbon Task Force for the Marine Life Protection Act heard the comments of hundreds of South Coast citizens who care passionately about the future of California's oceans. From 9 AM until 11 PM, with just a few short breaks for food, literally hundreds of people from all walks of life spoke out to support marine protected areas that will work best to protect and restore the health of California's essential ocean ecosystem. Today, the task force will choose its preferred alternative for a South Coast network of marine protected areas.

One of the most heartening things about the meeting yesterday was the presence of school kids representing communities from all around Southern California. About 300 high school students and their families and teachers came from Compton High School in Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, Imperial Beach and Chula Vista in San Diego County to participate in this important public process.

The field of ocean conservation is notoriously lacking in diversity, so it was truly inspiring to have the participation of so many students representing latino and other communities of color. For many people, there is no opportunity to travel to remote locations to see beautiful reefs and vibrant sea life -- the ocean off our own remarkable coast needs to be protected for all to experience and enjoy.

Marine biology students from Chadwick School on the Palos Verdes peninsula also spoke eloquently in favor of the Conservation Proposal for protected areas.

Although many didn't have the opportunity to speak before the task force, the presence of so many teachers and their students made a strong statement in favor of a balanced network of marine protected areas on the south coast - the Conservation Alternative Proposal 3.

Watch the task force deliberation live.

Choosing Marine Protected Areas That Will Work Best for Southern California

2009-10-22T05:57:51Z

California is creating Marine Protected Areas throughout its waters because, if well-designed, they will work to restore our oceans and protect the biological gems of our underwater world. Since 1990, California commercial fishing revenues have decreased by half and the number of fishing boats has declined by nearly three quarters. By increasing both the size and number of fish, marine protected areas will benefit fishing, diving, wildlife watching and the many other important ocean activities that are a critical part of California's economy.

In order to work, protected areas must be put in quality habitat. That's why scientific guidelines are written into California's law, the Marine Life Protection Act, to ensure that networks of protected areas include enough nurseries and other productive habitats to support diverse species. Tomorrow, a task force of experts will select their preference for the protected area network that will work best for Southern California. As venerated deep sea explorer Sylvia Earle discusses in her LA Times Op-Ed today, the Conservation Plan, Proposal 3, best meets the science guidelines while still leaving 88% of Southern California's coastal waters open to fishing.

Around the world, marine protected areas have been shown to restore the health of ocean ecosystems - not just individual fish, but also the habitat they live in and the entire web of life. To really do the job, protected areas must be located where critters feed and breed. In Southern California, the lush breeding grounds in places such as Point Dume and Palos Verdes are the right spots, and the Conservation Plan does the best job of protecting these places.

The Fishing Industry Plan, known as Proposal 2, includes vacant sandy patches that don't host much life, instead of the eel grass, an important nursery habitat, and other productive hot spots that are needed to make the MPAs work. This plan also leave big gaps in critical habitats like kelp and nearshore rocky reef. Advocates of Proposal 2 have suggested that we have to settle for this third-rate habitat to minimize socio-economic impacts, but 5-year reviews of reserves or marine protected area networks in the Florida Keys and the Channel Islands indicate no adverse impacts on recreational fishing revenues resulting from marine protected areas. Today, the Chief Economist at the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries sent a letter to the task force to expose the flaws in the fishing industry's economic arguments.

Not only do MPAs Work, they also take a lot of work to create, especially when they are designed by community members through a thoughtful, science-based process - here's a photo of that process in action today in Southern California.

We agree with Sylvia that the Conservation Plan--Proposal 3--creates the greatest conservation value and best meets the scientific guidelines. Proposal 1, the Middle Ground Plan, is a fair alternative as well, especially because it has support from a broad array of interest groups. However, the Fishing Industry Proposal 2 fails to meet key science guidelines, omits nursery habitats, and is therefore not a good option.

Stay tuned tomorrow for updates as the Blue Ribbon Task Force evaluates the science and public input to choose their preferred protected areas network for the South Coast.

California Leaders Offer Suggestions and Support for Good Work of National Ocean Policy Task Force

2009-09-18T06:49:02Z

Demonstrating great leadership and positive collaboration, the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) held a special meeting this morning, preceding the San Francisco listening session of President Obama's Interagency Ocean Policy Task force. Accepting and incorporating public testimony into their recommendations to the Task Force, OPC emphasized the importance of California's model efforts on many issues that will be impacted by the National Ocean Policy such as:

Marine protected areas;
Data collection for marine spatial planning;
Marine plastics pollution;
Climate change and ocean acidification; and
Water quality pollution.

Ocean Protection Council members and staff emphasized their desire to see coastal states and federal agencies work closely together, and with regional bodies such as the West Coast Governor's Agreement on Ocean Health, to improve the health of our oceans. For their part, national leaders present at OPC meeting -- Nancy Sutley, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality and Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator of NOAA - applauded California for its good work on the oceans.

Dr. Lubchenco emphasized the importance of the California Marine Life Protection Act, with its science guidelines and intensive stakeholder involvement, as a model for the creation of protected areas. While OPC's meeting was underway, the Task Force released its Interim Report, which recommends sweeping and important improvements in U.S. ocean protection and management.

While the threats to ocean health are sometimes daunting, today we left the meeting exited and hopeful about this historic day of cooperation and the future of better ocean protection management that lies ahead. Express your support for President Obama's leadership on ocean issues here.

The MPA Monitoring Enterprise: Leading the Way to Ecosystem-Based Monitoring of Marine Protected Areas

2009-09-13T20:01:48Z

With initiatives such as the Marine Protected Areas Monitoring Enterprise, California is creating a model for the use of science in the management of our oceans. The Monitoring Enterprise was created under the umbrella of the California Ocean Science Trust, a non-profit entity whose mission is to ensure that the best available science is applied to California policies and ocean management to successfully maintain a healthy, resilient, and productive ocean and coast.

California is in the process of implementing the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), which uses science guidelines, expert advisers, and extensive public stakeholder participation to design a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) throughout the state’s waters. A large and growing body of scientific data and studies demonstrate that marine protected areas can be an effective and critically important tool to help restore and maintain the health and productivity of our ocean ecosystems. For example, five years of monitoring in existing marine protected areas off the Channel Islands has demonstrated that many species of fish and invertebrates targeted by fishing outside reserves are bigger and more abundant inside no-take reserves, suggesting that these MPAs may contribute to protecting and promoting healthy ecosystems. The 5-year review also revealed that fishing activity adjusted to new locations, and the projected downturn in party boat landings did not occur.

As the protected areas networks are put in place in each section of California’s water –- the Central Coast and North Central Coast are now complete while the South Coast, North Coast design processes are underway –- the MPA Monitoring Enterprise is working with the Department of Fish and Game, stakeholders and scientists to develop efficient, cost-effective monitoring that will:

Assess and track marine ecosystem conditions and changes in conditions over time, inside and outside MPAs;
Evaluate socioeconomic impacts and changes in human uses of marine ecosystems following MPA implementation; and
Gather data to support evaluation of the design of the regional MPA network and continual improvement MPAs through “adaptive management”.

Protected areas are not the only tool needed to protect ocean health and the human use and enjoyment of marine resources. NRDC and our colleague organizations also work hard to help improve water quality, protect marine mammals, and ensure that any new activities in the our already over-crowded oceans do not further jeopardize our stressed ocean ecosystems. However, MPAs will help to restore the resilience and productivity of our ocean ecosystems, enabling them to better withstand negative impacts and protect and restore one of California’s most valuable natural and economic treasures. The Monitoring Enterprise will lead development of targeted programs to improve the understanding of marine systems and document changes in marine ecosystems following implementation of MPAs. The ecosystem-based information collected will also be useful in addressing other problems in our oceans.

The North Central Coast portion of the MPA network was finalized by the Fish and Game Commission on August 5th, 2009, after careful deliberation and very extensive public comment. Now, research projects will be selected to implement the North Central Coast MPA Baseline Program, characterizing key aspects of the ecology and socioeconomics of the region at the time of MPA implementation, and documenting initial changes after the MPAs take effect. The Baseline Program is a collaborative effort among the State Coastal Conservancy, Ocean Protection Council, California Department of Fish and Game, California Ocean Science Trust, MPA Monitoring Enterprise, and California Sea Grant.

The program is now accepting bids from applicants who would like to work on this program. Other things being equal, proposals that are best designed to work with local fishermen and other citizens from the North Central Coast will be prioritized over other applicants.

For more information, see the California Sea Grant website. Project proposals will be due no later than 5:00 pm PDT September 28, 2009, and awards are expected to be made by December 18, 2009.

After 2.5-year Historic Public Process, Commission Finalizes Marine Protected Areas on California’s North Central Coast

2009-08-07T00:33:09Z

Yesterday, after almost five hours of public comments from over 100 speakers, the Fish and Game Commission enacted into law the plan for a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) on the North Central Coast of California, as required by the 1999 Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA). The culmination of an exemplary 2.5 year public process, this meeting was truly a great show of leadership and foresight by the Commissioners who voted to finalize this network of underwater parks, creating a string of protected areas that connects to the existing network in the Central Coast. (See this "Lessons Learned Study" for an evaluation of how the process worked.)

The final hearing was an electrified and emotional meeting for everyone there, because every single person in the jam-packed provisional hearing room clearly cares strongly about the health of one of California's greatest scenic, natural, recreational and economic resources - our coastal and ocean ecosystem. While every one of the speakers voiced a strong opinion, the underlying choices-the compromise "Integrated Preferred Alternative" (IPA) plan, the fishing industry plan "2-XA", and the conservation-oriented alternative 3-had a remarkable amount of common ground.

The compromise network enacted yesterday protects threatened and unique habitats along the coast, while still leaving nearly 90 percent of state waters open to various forms of fishing. California's marine protected areas encourage recreational and educational uses of the ocean; activities like kayaking, diving, snorkeling, surfing, bird and wildlife watching, and swimming are generally allowed in all MPAs.

Commissioner Richard Rogers provided eloquent comments and important perspective on the process before joining Commissioners Sutton and Benninghoven in voting for the IPA plan:

"I am committed to returning California to the sustainable abundance that it once enjoyed - and I know that it once enjoyed that because I saw it, and that wasn't all that long ago, that was only 50 years ... I believe that what is in front of us today is the result of a complicated, extraordinarily open, historic public process, certainly the state of California has never seen one like it ... I believe that the IPA is the best thing that we have in front of us today in a process that I believe is the single most important thing that I have ever done in my entire life. I believe that 20 to 30 years from now, we are going to be really proud of what we do here."

The Commissioners voted to adopt the "Integrated Preferred Alternative" because, according to the state's analysis of environmental, socio-economic, and other impacts, this plan is the environmentally superior alternative whose benefits will outweigh any potential short-term adverse impacts. Fortunately, five years of monitoring in existing marine protected areas off the Channel Islands has demonstrated that even potential short-term impacts are likely to be minimal or not occur. Prior to the creation of the Channel Island MPAs, some fishing groups expressed the same fears about possible negative impacts of those areas - these fears were virtually identical to many of the fears expressed about the MLPA. The 5 years of monitoring in the Channel Islands shows that MPAs work and are beginning to yield more and larger target species, as well as increased biodiversity - while having no, or only positive impacts, on the number and success of commercial and recreational fishing activities off the Channel Islands.

The final network of protected areas off the North Central Coast was developed over the course of a 2.5 year public process - the plan itself was designed by 40 diverse coastal stakeholders, finalized by a Blue Ribbon Task Force, and meets specific science guidelines. This timeline demonstrates the number of public meetings and the extensive documents available online give detailed information about how the plans were developed.

I'm Blogging Live at the Hearing to Finalize Marine Protected Areas on CA's North Central Coast

2009-08-05T16:30:10Z

After two years of planning, over 50 public meetings, and participation from tens of thousands of Californian's, on August 5, 2009, the Fish & Game Commission will vote to adopt a final plan of protected areas for the North Central Coast. This promises to be an electrified meeting, leading up to this crucial vote. Stay tuned as I broadcast live blog posts from the hearing in Woodland, California.