Results of the first program dedicated exclusively to research and development of baseline information on marine reserves in California are available on CD-ROM from the California Sea Grant College Program.
In 1996, the Fish and Game Commission selected California Sea Grant to design and administer a competitive, peer-reviewed research program at four new reserves: Punta Gorda, Big Creek, Vandenberg, and Big Sycamore Canyon. The studies were conducted from 1997-2001.
The goal of the Marine Ecological Reserves Research Program (MERRP) was to steer the development of proposals into a cohesive effort addressing the concept of marine reserves, and providing solid baseline studies of these reserves. Proposals were reviewed rigorously, according to scientific criteria, and with the assistance of advisory committees designed to address the utility of the proposed work from a local perspective. The research represented the beginning of a unique collaboration by investigators from a number of universities throughout the state, the California Department of Fish and Game, and the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Robert C. Hight, Director of the California Department of Fish and Game, stated: "The goal of this program has been to learn more about how marine reserves might best be used as a management tool to benefit California's marine life, and provide a mechanism to conduct top-quality research that will ultimately allow Californians to make better decisions about marine resources." He went on to add, "This program, administered by California Sea Grant, has provided the Department of Fish and Game with an extraordinary opportunity to build productive relationships with marine scientists throughout California's universities."
Publication Number: N/A
Author: California Sea Grant
Product Type: CD
Language: English
Copyright Date: 2002
Length: CD
Complimentary
Unavailable at this time
