California designated its first new marine protected areas in over a decade, the California Fish and Game Commission announced, adding 15,000 acres of protected coastal waters and bringing the state's total protected marine areas to 22.2% of its coastline. The action moves the state closer to its goal of protecting 30% of coastal waters by 2030.
The protected areas include the new Point Sal State Marine Conservation Area, which protects habitat for fish, seabirds, and migrating whales; the new Mishopshno State Marine Conservation Area, which protects the Carpinteria Reef and a kelp forest ecosystem in the Santa Barbara Channel; an expansion of Point Dume State Marine Conservation Area near Malibu; and strengthened protections for Pyramid Point State Marine Conservation Area on the North Coast.
Point Sal and Mishopshno were nominated by Chumash tribes, making them the first tribal-nominated marine protected areas in California's network. Kenneth Kahn, Tribal Chairman for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, said: "This area has important cultural and spiritual values that deserve to be protected for future generations."
The action comes as the Trump administration continues pushing for offshore oil and gas leasing off California's coast for the first time in decades. The administration has also launched a review of California's Coastal Management Program, which the state has warned could weaken protections.
California's existing network of 124 marine protected areas, implemented in 2012, has been recognized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as a global standard for marine conservation. Scientific monitoring shows the network increases marine biodiversity and biomass while supporting coastal communities through tourism and fishing.