Surfrider San Mateo County Chapter
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Surfrider San Mateo County Chapter
  • Give
  • About Us
    • The Team
    • Our Mission
    • National Policies & Principles
    • Partnerships
    • Fundraising
  • Programs
    • Blue Water Task Force
      • BWTF Water Sampling
      • BWTF Results
      • BWTF FAQ
    • Beach Cleanup
    • Ocean Friendly Restaurants
      • What Is An Ocean Friendly Restaurant?
      • San Mateo County Ocean-Friendly Restaurants
    • Marine Protected Areas
  • Campaigns
    • Open Martin’s Beach
    • Save Dunes Beach
  • Get Involved
    • Memberships
    • Volunteer
    • Current Volunteer Opportunities
  • Events
    • Blog
  • Contact Us

Marine Protected Areas

In 2012, California became the first state in the nation to establish a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) – similar to national parks and forests on land – to protect and restore ocean habitats, and increase the health, productivity and resilience of ocean ecosystems.

This resulted from 1999’s California Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) For the implementation phase of the MLPA, California’s 1,100-mile coastline was divided into five regions. In each region, local stakeholders, scientists and policy experts worked together to decide how best to create that area’s MPAs, ultimately creating over 120 underwater refuges along California’s coast from the Oregon border to Mexico. Surfrider Foundation was an integral part of the process throughout.

Our Local Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s):

  • Ano Nuevo State Marine Reserve
  • Bair Island Ecological Reserve
  • Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
  • Montara State Marine Reserve
  • Pillar Point State Marine Conservation Area
  • Redwood Shores Ecological Reserve

Further resources:

  • Read more about the different types of marine protected areas.
  • Enjoy amazing videos from California’s most special coastal places – our MPAs!
  • Find an MPA Collaborative near you!
  • Surfrider Foundation and MPAs
  • California MPAs
  • California Department of Fish & Wildlife
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