Ecotrust's Marine Planning - Human Use and Values Monitoring
California's North Central Coast
Following the designation of MPAs along California's North Central Coast, Ecotrust and Natural Equity established the Monitoring Human Uses and Values project to better understand the influence of MPAs on human activities. We will research both consumptive (e.g., commercial fishing, recreational fishing, charter fishing) and non-consumptive (e.g., diving, kayaking, whale watching, beach walking) uses of the region, extending from Alder Creek, near Point Arena in Mendocino County, to Pigeon Point, near Half Moon Bay in San Mateo County. This study is one of 11 projects that comprise the North Central Coast MPA Baseline Program, developed by the MPA Monitoring Enterprise, a program of the California Ocean Science Trust, in collaboration with the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC), California Department of Fish and Game, and California Sea Grant.
The objectives of this research are to:
- Provide spatial and demographic baseline estimates of economic activity in the study region;
- Describe the initial responses of ocean/coastal user communities to the MPAs; and
- Inform the planning and implementation of long-term monitoring, in order to understand the causal links between ecosystem features, socioeconomic changes, and the implementation of MPAs.
Learn more about the Human Use and Values Monitoring project.
