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MPA Watch in Need of Volunteers
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Monterey, CA, May 15, 2018 ? California?s scenic and spectacular 840-mile coastline and ocean are among the country?s most treasured resources and is central to hawaii? chiffrephileconsulting , heritage and economy. California also leads the nation and the world in ocean protection, ensuring the preservation of important ecosystems along its coastline.

Volunteers tend to be the lifeblood of the many and varied organizations, both public and private, that help preserve and protect the coast and ocean. One of those organizations is MPA Watch, a citizen science monitoring program that trains volunteers to see and collect unbiased data on human uses of coastal and marine resources both outside and inside of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

By involving local communities in this important work, MPA Watch programs inspire and empower stewardship of the coast and ocean, and educate community members about California?s ocean ecosystems.

MPA Watch programs across the state of California are continually training a network of volunteers to monitor resource use inside and outside these protected areas. Volunteers use standardized protocols to collect relevant, scientifically rigorous, and broadly accessible data.

Not only do local volunteers find out about their coastal environment and be "citizen scientists" and stewards of the region, however they generate large quantities of monitoring data that would not be possible beneath the current state budget.

Citizen-science, also called community science, is research conducted by trained volunteers from everyone who are interested in science, monitoring, and conservation of the marine environment. But, you certainly do not need any scientific background to get data for these surveys.

Volunteers will be trained to collect valuable data on ocean users and their activities, such as for example surfing, kayaking, fishing, boating, running, etc. Specifically, the MPA Watch volunteers will observe and record both consumptive and non-consumptive offshore and onshore activities around MPAs, that may improve our knowledge of how people are using these new MPAs.

Data are meant to inform the management, enforcement, and science of California' MPAs and allow us to observe how human uses are changing because of implementation of the MPAs.

From 2010 to 2015, more than 850 MPA Watch volunteers were actively engaged in surveying MPAs from Mendocino County to NORTH PARK County, leading to more than 10,000 surveys.

Organizations in your community are always looking for volunteers to do this important work. To obtain involved, contact organizations which are operating MPA Watch programs in your area. Current organizations and their contact persons include:

Heal the Bay - LA County (Land-Based) Jenna Segal, [email protected]

LA Waterkeeper - Los Angeles County (Boat-Based) Michael Quill, [email protected]

Orange County Coastkeeper - Orange County Ray Hiemstra, [email protected]

Environmental Action Committee of West Marin (EAC) - Marin County Morgan Patton, [email protected]

California Academy of Sciences Rebecca Johnson, [email protected]

Santa Barbara Channelkeeper - Santa Barbara County Penny Owens, [email protected]

WILDCOAST - San Diego County Angela Kemsley, [email protected]

Greater Farallones Association - San Francisco and Surrounding Counties Kirsten Lindquist, [email protected]

Eagle Eyes of False Klamath Cove ? Del Norte County Ruthie Maloney, [email protected]

Contact: Marci Bracco Cain Chatterbox PR Salinas, CA 93901 (831) 747-7455 http://www.mpawatch.org

Related Articles - MPA Watch, Volunteers, coastline, heritage and economy, ocean protection,
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