A recent study from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, examined the Cabo Pulmo National Park, a Marine Protected Area in Mexico. They saw a 463% increase in total fish biomass, the largest measured increase in MPA history! This study is pure science-backed evidence that Marine Protected Areas truly work toward the goal of revitalizing ecosystems and replenishing depleted populations of marine life.
Here in California, 49 new Marine Protected Areas in Southern California will be implemented on January 1, 2012. The area spans from Point Conception in Santa Barbara County down to the U.S./Mexico border, protects 354 square miles of state waters, and accounts for about 15% of the waters in that region.