| This book documents the status of more than 100 marine reserves that were in place in California as of 1997, which were set aside by a variety of goverment entities for a range of purposes. Sites range from Atascadero Beach Pismo Clam Preserve, where only harvest of clams was prohibited, to the Point Lobos Ecological Reserve, whereboth commercial and recreational fishing was prohibited, along with the harvest of other animals and plants. The problem was compounded by the fact that a single site may have had overlapping boundries with other sites carrying different designations and regulations. This publication, produced with special funding from David and Lucile Packard Foundation, represented a first attempt to collect and organize available information on California's MPAs. For each site, information is provided on site designation, date established, responsible agencies, overlapping MPA boundries, and regulations (as of 1997) governing fishing, kelp harvest, and aircraft use. Also provided are 103 general map layouts created from the geographic information system (GIS) of MPA boundaries developed by the Remote Sensing Research Unit, University of California at Santa Barbara, Department of Geography. Though not without controversy, MPAs may potentially offer many benefits to fisheries. |