As California, the U.S. and the world work to make good on commitments to conserve 30% of oceans and lands by 2030, all strategies are on the table — and under the microscope. When it comes to the ocean, one valuable tool is marine protected areas (MPAs), regions that are defined, designated and managed for long-term conservation. Among other benefits, MPAs protect habitats and promote species diversity. They also hold value for communities and industries.
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara’s Marine Science Institute have published a new study on the impact of MPAs on the recreational scuba diving industry in California’s Northern Channel Islands. Their conclusions provide strong evidence of the benefit of MPAs for the scuba diving industry in Southern California and highlight that the diving community should be considered a key stakeholder in decision-making about the future of MPAs.
“UCSB has a strong history of conducting marine science in the Channel Islands,” noted first author Molly Morse, senior manager with the campus-based Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory. “We hope this research contributes to that legacy of highlighting the measurable value of these ecosystems not only as a critical resource to fishers but also to those of us that place significant value in experiencing and exploring the ‘Galapagos of North America’ with our mask and fins.”
To conduct their study, the team analyzed patterns from millions of Automatic Identification System (AIS) data points from for-hire scuba diving vessels to glean long-term insight into how MPAs shape ecotourism at large. AIS is an onboard vessel broadcast system that shares high-resolution vessel location, so you know where diving boats (in this case) have visited and anchored, and therefore where divers are exploring the underwater world.
“People come from around the state and around the world to dive the Channel Islands, drawn by playful sea lions, underwater cathedrals of emerald kelp forests and giant sea bass weighing four times more than the divers themselves,” she said. “The dive captains we interviewed stated that the MPAs of the Northern Channel Islands — Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel — enabled more of these experiences for their clientele.”
“We stand at a critical time in history as state, national and world leaders contemplate how to achieve goals of protecting 30% of land and water by 2030,” said co-author Douglas McCauley, a professor of ecology, evolution and marine biology and director of the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory. “Research like this sheds light on the diverse benefits that marine protected areas create for our local communities and economy. And these MPAs are only 20 years old this year. They are baby parks compared to their 150+ year old ancestors on land, like Yellowstone National Park. I think we can assume with high confidence based on other research that these benefits will only increase as these underwater protected areas mature.”
Other authors on this paper are Sara Orofino, Keenan Stears, Samantha Mladjov and Jenn Caselle — all from UCSB — as well as Tyler Clavelle of Global Fishing Watch and Ryan Freedman of NOAA Sanctuaries.
This is an excerpt from an article written by Shelly Leachman. The whole article can be found here.