Sonoma State University Marine Biology Professor Karina Nielsen is available for comment on various aspects of the input from stakeholder meetings being held in the creation of California's Marine Protected Areas along the northern California coastline.
Nielsen is currently serving on the Science Advisory Team of the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative to re-examine and redesign California's Marine Preserve Areas to increase their coherence and effectiveness at protecting the state's marine life, habitat, and ecosystems.
To help achieve this goal, the MLPA Initiative was created with an initial pilot project along the central coast of California. The second phase of the MLPA Initiative is focused on the north central coast, from Alder Creek in Mendocino County to Pigeon Point in San Mateo County.
As part of a Science Sub-team, Nielsen also serves as a laison between the SAT and the North Central Coast Regional Stakeholders Group and attends their meetings to facilitate communication between the two groups as the NCCRSG develops their proposals for where to locate marine protected areas along the north central coast of California.
The NCCRSG is composed of a diverse group of representatives for commercial and recreational fishermen, abalone divers, environmentalists, natural resource managers (Department of Parks & Recreation, Pt. Reyes National Seashore), kayakers, divers, educators, harbor masters, and other stakeholders.
The Science Advisory Team provides scientific information to help inform the stakeholder groups as they develop their proposals. It will also evaluate the various proposals for their scientific efficacy in meeting the MLPA goals.
The next North Central Coast Regional Stakeholder Group meetings are scheduled on Oct. 16 at 10 a.m. and Oct. 17 at 8:30 a.m. at the Gualala Arts Center, 46501 Gualala Road, Gualala.
"California is really at the cutting edge in terms of marine conservation efforts nationally," Nielsen says, "and the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative process is a good model for how the best available science can be used to inform public policy."
For further information, visit the MLPA initiative, visit http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/.
Karina J. Nielsen can be reached at (707) 664-2962 or e-mail karina.nielsen@sonoma.edu.
