Explore California's Underwater Parks without getting your feet wet through a new online tour! Over the past two years the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation has been building online tours of each of California's marine protected areas using a new product from Google. We are excited to announce that the statewide tour is now complete. This online tour features more than 125 underwater parks from the Oregon border to Baja, and is divided into easy-to-navigate regional tours. Each tour explores all of the underwater parks along our amazing coast and features detailed descriptions of each of the state marine protected areas and National Marine Sanctuaries with stunning photos and videos, and links to local "things to do" for your enjoyment and ease of vacation planning. 

 

 

Follow the links below or visit the California MPAs website to get started on your tour!

 

The North Coast MPA Tour: This tour explores the 20 state MPAs and 7 special closures along California's north coast.

 

The North-Central Coast MPA Tour: This tour explores the 25 state MPAs and 6 special closures along California's north central coast as well as three National Marine Sanctuaries.

 

The Central Coast MPA Tour: This tour explores the 29 state MPAs and one of the National Marine Sanctuaries along California's central coast. 

 

The South Coast MPA Tour: This tour explores the 50 state MPAs and two special closures along California's south coast, as well as one National Marine Sanctuary.

President Obama made headlines around the world recently when he announced plans to create the world's largest marine reserve in the Pacific Ocean. When you are talking about two million square kilometers of pristine coral reefs, it's easy to grasp the significance of an MPA.  The smaller protected areas closer to home conserve key estuaries, sloughs, kelp forests and coastal islands, yet tend to draw far less media attention. Despite their small size, small marine protected areas can have positive benefits. 

 

The push to raise awareness has been strong, but because the threats facing our ocean are hard to see from shore, and the language of marine conservation unfamiliar to many audiences, we need to work to build public passion for MPAs, in the same manner that land-based parks enjoy.  This makes communication tools crucial!

 

Resource Media partnered with CMSF and Michael Sutton, president of California's Fish and Game Commission, to lead a training on MPA messaging. Below are the top 5 tips:

1. Put people in the picture.
2. Meet your audience where they are (literally and figuratively).
3. Bridge from the familiar to the unfamiliar.
4. Emphasize results, not process.
5. End with a call to action.

To learn more, see the Resource Media blog post or you can watch the webinar on YouTube.

Coordinators and managers of Central Coast research and monitoring projects are invited to complete the Central Coast Monitoring Survey through September 26, 2014. Your survey results are an important ingredient in helping California Ocean Science Trust - and its partners at California Department of Fish and Wildlife and California Ocean Protection Council - design the next phase of MPA monitoring. For more details about the survey please visit the Central Coast region page on OceanSpaces.org.

What brought 65 people to a wood-paneled room, almost 100 miles from the sea, to sit down and talk about it? Find out here, where you can also join the conversation. Experts discussed ocean health, and how integral it is to our own lives whether we live on the coasts or inland. Also, don't miss the latest news on one of the greatest threats our oceans have ever faced, and what's being done about it here. Plus, meet the members of the West Coast Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Science Panel, watch videos and more here on OceanSpaces.

A new product, now available from the North Central Coast MPA Baseline Program, highlights the latest in monitoring work for the region. The Regional Snapshot covers commercial fishing, coastal recreation, sandy beaches, rocky reefs, and more. Find it here on OceanSpaces to learn more about ongoing research projects in North Central Coast marine protected areas.

 

You're invited to the first of a series of four webinars, which will walk you through a newly developed MPA Docent Training Handbook. This webinar is designed for docents and naturalists to provide a primer on marine protected areas and provide invaluable tools for sharing information with the public.

 

If you are interested in attending, please hold this date on your calendar and register on-line here. You can also RSVP to Miho Umezawa at miho@thankyouocean.org or (916) 905-5649.    

 

Celebrate National Estuaries Day at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve! Enjoy walks and talks with land stewards and researchers, get creative with kids crafts at the award-winning Visitor Center, peek at the slough's microscopic life in the state-of-the-art education lab, and browse the Native Plant Fair for gardening ideas.  Free and fun for the whole family!

For more information, visit www.elkhornslough.org or call (831)728-2822. 

 

There is no better way to enjoy and connect with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary than taking a weekend to get your feet wet and enjoy some ocean activities! A celebration of ocean and human wellness, the two-day Monterey Bay Sportsfest features water and beach competitions including ocean waterpolo, beach volleyball, .5, 1 and 2.5 mile open water swims, a Splash and Dash, and the Ikaika Challenge combining swimming, strength activities and a beach run. Public activities include beach yoga, mindful movement and wellness and ocean-related vendors and non-profits at the "Healthy People, Healthy Oceans" expo.   

 

Check out their Facebook page for regular updates and learn more on the Sportsfest website. 

 

San Francisco International Ocean Film Festival Call for Entry

Early deadline is October 1st

The San Francisco International Ocean Film Festival (SFIOFF), North America's premier film festival for independent, ocean inspired films, announces its "Call for Entry." Submissions are currently being accepted for the upcoming 12th Annual film festival to be held in San Francisco in March 2015. Early deadline is October 1st. The ever-popular 4th Annual Student Film Competition is also open, accepting entries from middle school and high school students. Submit your film and help us inspire our audiences to care for and protect the ocean. For more information, please visit www.oceanfilmfest.org. 

 

BLUE Ocean Film Festival's 2014 YouTube Video Contest Call for Entry

Deadline is October 15th

What do you do to keep the ocean blue? Create a 3 minute video that showcases your efforts to ensure the health of the oceans and the life within! From picking up trash to eating sustainable seafood, we want to know what people are doing to keep our Ocean's BLUE for generations to come!

For more information visit the Blue 2014 YouTube Contest Page.