Today, you can learn how to support. April 15, 2018, Monterey, California — The breathtaking and breathtaking coastline and ocean that stretch for 840 miles in California are among the most valuable resources in the United States. They are also an essential component of the state’s identity, legacy, and economy. In addition, California is the leader in ocean conservation, both nationally and internationally, and it is responsible for assuring the preservation of significant ecosystems along its coastline. When it comes to the many and diverse groups, both governmental and private, that work to conserve and protect the shoreline and ocean, volunteers are often the organizations’ most important resource. A citizen science monitoring program that trains volunteers to observe and collect unbiased data on human uses of coastal and marine resources both inside and outside of Marine Protected Areas is one of the organizations that falls under this category. MPA Watch is one of the organizations that falls under this category (MPAs). MPA Watch programs encourage and promote stewardship of the coast and ocean, as well as educate community people about the ecosystems that are found in California’s oceans. Additionally, these programs include local communities in the critical work that is being done. A network of volunteers is being trained on a continuous basis by MPA Watch programs located across the state of California to monitor the use of resources both inside and outside of these protected areas. Through the use of established procedures, volunteers are able to collect data that is pertinent, scientifically rigorous, and widely available. Volunteers from the community not only gain knowledge about their coastal environment and become “citizen scientists” and stewards of the region, but they also create a significant amount of monitoring data that would not be feasible under the existing budgetary constraints of the state. The term “citizen science,” which is often referred to as “community science,” refers to research that is carried out by trained volunteers from the general public who have an interest in science, monitoring, and the preservation of the marine environment. To gather data for these surveys, however, you do not need to have any prior experience in the scientific field. In order to gather important data about ocean users and the activities they engage in, such as surfing, kayaking, fishing, boating, jogging, and etc., volunteers will be taught to collect this information. Specifically, the volunteers who are part of the MPA Watch program will observe and record activities that are both consumptive and non-consumptive offshore and onshore in and around special protection areas (MPAs). This will help us gain a better understanding of how people are utilizing these newly established MPAs. The purpose of the data is to provide information that may be used to improve the administration, enforcement, and science of California’s marine protected areas (MPAs), as well as to enable us to observe how human uses are changing as a consequence of the implementation of these MPAs. More than 850 volunteers from MPA Watch were actively involved in surveying nature preserves from Mendocino County to San Diego County between the years of 2010 and 2015. This resulted in more than 10,000 surveys being completed. As a result of the significance of this task, organizations in your community are continually asking for volunteers to do it. Making contact with groups that are running MPA Watch programs in your region is the first step in getting engaged. Current organizations and the individuals who may be reached by them include: The Los Angeles County chapter of Heal the Bay (Land-Based) email address: jsegal@healthebay.org Jenna Segal The Waterkeeper of Los Angeles County is the Los Angeles Water (Boat-Based) Mike Quill may be reached at mquill@lawaterkeeper.org. Coastkeeper for Orange County, working for Orange County [email protected] Ray Hiemstra, Coastkeeper.org West Marin Environmental Action Committee (EAC) – Marin County Environmental Protection Agency Email address: morgan@eacmarin.org Morgan Patton National Academy of Sciences of California Email address: rjohnson@calacademy.org Rebecca Johnson The Channelkeeper for Santa Barbara County is Santa Barbara County. By email: penny@sbck.org Penny Owens Wild Coast is the county of San Diego. e-mail address: angela@wildcoast.org Angela Kemsley The Greater Farallones Association serves the counties of San Francisco and the surrounding areas. Email address: klindquist@farallones.org for Kirsten Lindquist The False Eyes of an Eagle County of Del Norte, located in Klamath Cove Email address: ruthiemaloney@gmail.com Ruthie Maloney Marci Bracco Cain Chatterbox Public Relations Salinas, California 93901 (831) 747-7455 http://www.mpawatch.org is the contact information.
Author
jackemails@gmail.com