Leon Panetta has been an especially effective champion for our ocean. He was instrumental in the creation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in 1992, our nation's largest Sanctuary at that time. He chaired the Pew Ocean Commission, which ten years ago released America's Living Oceans: Charting a Course for Sea Change; an assessment of the health of our ocean and prescriptions for action to protect, maintain and restore their diversity, resilience and productivity. He has long been a leader in bi-partisan cooperation and developing reforms.

Recently, he wrote a special article for CNN urging our nation to not take the ocean for granted.

Despite the many advances and successes that have been made in ocean and coastal conservation and protection, coastal development and the loss of wetland and marsh habitats remain significant threats. The challenges posed by a growing population, especially in coastal states, are many. Pollution, coastal erosion, ocean acidification, and the lack of fresh water are among the major issues we're faced with on the west coast. Marine Protected Areas used as a tool in conjunction with coastal protections are critically important for overall ecosystem health.

As Peter Douglas, beloved protector of California's coastline and former Executive Director of the California Coastal Commission, used to say, "the coast is never saved; it's always being saved." Events in Las Baulas National Marine Park in Costa Rica over the past few years have revealed the profound truth of his statement. 

 

The ocean is "a precious landscape that is finite," said Peter Douglas. "It's not being made anymore. It's easy to destroy and almost impossible to restore."

 

We urge Californian's to continue to be engaged and vigilant in protecting our natural resources.

 

In October 2013, a Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtle Conservation Summit will be hosted in Monterey, bringing together leaders from Indonesia and California to commemorate California's first official Pacific Leatherback Conservation Day. It is hoped that the Summit will foster bi-national collaboration between the two regions, critical to the leatherback's life cycle.

 

Finally, we close with a new film, produced by Kip Evans of Mountain & Sea Productions, highlighting the first five years of the central coast marine protected area network, and many of the people working to ensure it's success.

 

California's Hope Spots: Riding a Wave of Change highlights the statewide marine protected area network that stretches from Oregon to Mexico. Some refer to the MPAs as the Yosemites of the Seas. In this film, featuring a spectacular range of underwater scenery, you can hear what fishermen, scientists and conservation leaders have to say about California's central coast marine protected areas after 5-years of protection.

 

We hope you enjoy it!