PROJECT HIGHLIGHT:
This project conducted surveys of deepwater ecosystems in California’s MPAs, using a remotely operated vehicle and continuing a methodology applied since 2004.
PROJECT SUMMARY:
In 2012, California finalized a plan for its system of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) — setting aside a network of sites where activities like fishing (and mineral extraction) are limited or prohibited altogether to protect oceanic resources for future generations. To understand whether these MPAs are effectively protecting the ocean, they must be monitored.
This project consisted of surveys of deepwater ecosystems within California’s MPAs. Using a remotely-operated vehicle, the team surveyed four to five pairs of sites, including an MPA and a corresponding, nearby fished site with similar depth and seafloor characteristics, as a reference. This project was a continuation of ongoing work first launched by Marine Applied Research & Exploration in 2003 in the Santa Barbara Channel. The current methods used for data collection and processing were developed by the California Department of Fish and Game, and have been applied since 2004, meaning the new surveys can be incorporated into an ongoing archival dataset.