Happy Monday coastal defenders! Here’s an update on the latest ocean news -
An urgent call for action about USA’s plastic pollution problem
Over 250 organizations have joined together with Break Free from Plastic and are urging president Joe Biden and congress to invest $1.3 Billion in solutions to address plastic pollution and its environmental justice impacts.
You can read more about the recommendations to reduce plastic pollution here.
World Wetlands Day
Tuesday, February 2nd was World Wetlands Day! We took the day to appreciate how spectacular California’s wetlands are. Wetlands and other living shorelines are an incredibly important part of our coastline and can help protect coastal communities from storm surges, buffer rising sea levels and enhance coastal resiliency.
A new study finds that Marine Protected Areas can actually increase fishery landings despite closing fishing grounds
A study conducted by the University of California - Santa Barbara highlights the importance of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in preserving our ocean’s fish populations. MPAs are one of the best ocean conservation tools utilized in environmental policy today. While Marine Protected Areas can be unpopular with commercial fisherman due to the limitation of certain fishing grounds, this study found that MPAs actually increase catch rates in surrounding areas. This important finding can help to bolster support for MPAs from the fishing industry in the future.