This week, MBC students and MBC Executive Director, Samantha Murray, who also serves as a commissioner on California Fish & Game, are in Monterey, CA for the MPA Decadal Management Review.

This is the first Decadal Review since the establishment of a network of 124 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) which protects 16% of California State waters. Representatives from California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Fish and Game Commission, Ocean Protection Council, and MPA Statewide Leadership, as well as Tribal representatives, non-profit and business leaders, so many other stakeholder (and MBC students!) have come together to complete the first ever comprehensive evaluation of the entire statewide MPA Network.

“While we face daunting challenges to protect our coast and ocean amidst accelerating climate change, our Network is a source of hope and inspiration. We look forward to our shared work ahead helping our MPA Network adapt, evolve, and remain a global model of environmental stewardship” (Crowfoot & Bonham, 2023).

Check out this interview below in which Samantha Murray tells KPBS Public Media about how the CA MPA network is achieving its protective, economic, and social equity goals, and the power of collaborative conservation.

You can learn more about the MPA network, and decadal review process on wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation.

You can read the full KPBS article interviewing Samantha Murray here.

Citations:

Video from: https://www.kpbs.org/news/environment/2023/03/14/californias-system-of-marine-reserves-gets-major-review

Crowfoot, W., & Bonham, C. H. (Eds.). (2023). MPA Decadal Management Review – Prologue. In MPA Decadal Management Review. Monterey. Retrieved 2023, from https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/MPAs/Management/Decadal-Review#566381044-participate.

Image from: https://cdfwmarine.wordpress.com/