Marzone and its application to California's marine life protection act initiative

Abstract

Working in collaboration, Ecotrust, the University of Queensland, and the University of California have developed components for a spatially explicit tool that will allow science-advisors to design and evaluate the performance of Marine Protected Area (MPA) networks in the context of the California Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA). In 2005, the state's Department of Fish and Game created an Initiative to implement a network of MPAs inside state waters based on the best available science. This Initiative was first implemented in the Central Coast of California, between Pigeon Point and Point Conception, and will continue to the north and south coasts through 2010.