The United States has designated a new marine protected area found off its Pacific coastline in a bid to preserve ocean biodiversity.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the official formation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. The new protected area covers more than 4,500 square miles (about 11,600 square kilometers) of ocean off the central California coast. A section of the new MPA borders the existing Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, which surrounds Channel Islands National Park.
The new ocean protection zone also covers some 116 miles (187 kilometers) of California’s coastline. NOAA said the native American Chumash nation first proposed the creation of the marine sanctuary in 2015.
NOAA began the public consultation process to create the protected zone in 2021 “receiving more than 110,000 public comments on the draft designation documents, of which more than 98% were supportive of sanctuary designation,” the agency said.
NOAA said the decision to create the marine protected area is based entirely on a desire to preserve biodiversity. Rules governing the region will forbid offshore drilling or the installation of offshore platforms, while any resource extraction, including fishing, will be strictly regulated and prohibited without explicit government permission.
The designation “will propel us forward in bringing meaningful, comprehensive ecosystem-based and community-based management to the nationally significant natural, historical, and cultural resources of this amazing coast and ocean,” said Paul Michel, NOAA’s West Coast Region policy coordinator, in a release.
The new protected zone stretches to a maximum of 60 miles (almost 100 kilometers) from the coastline. The maximum depth of the zone extends to 11,580 feet (3,530 meters).
The MPA is home to lush underwater kelp forests of the sort found around the Channel Islands and thriving coral communities. Whales also frequently migrate through the area.
NOAA says America’s newest marine sanctuary was designed to connect with the Channel Islands sanctuary and to California’s existing network of state marine protected areas.
“Due to threats from human activities, industrial uses, and climate change, areas like Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary are designed to promote the long-term conservation and protection of natural and cultural resources in the region and support local and regional economies,” said NOAA National Ocean Service director Nicole LeBoeuf.
The new sanctuary is also home to numerous shipwrecks.
Press materials released by NOAA announcing the formation of the marine sanctuary featured a photo of portions of the underwater wreckage of the San Pedro, a wood steamship that sank in these waters in 1894.
While the designation is now official and rules governing America’s newest MPA are in place, NOAA promises ongoing consultations with the public to discuss management and conservation issues. These consultations will be conducted alongside the Chumash nation.
A 15-member Sanctuary Advisory Council will be formed to guide the region’s management and preservation.
“Sanctuary advisory councils play a very important role in sanctuary management, providing a communication bridge to communities and facilitating input and feedback on important sanctuary issues,” Michel said in an overview. “Meetings are open to the public, and we welcome public comment on issues before the council.”
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Park:
Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary
Location:
California, USA
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