Marine Sanctuary Possibilities for SLO Central Coast
and President Obama's National Ocean Policy
The first National Ocean Policy in our nation's history was signed by President Obama on July 19, 2010.
The Executive Order—Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes
Quoting from the executive order:
"This order establishes a national policy to ensure the protection, maintenance, and restoration of the health of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems and resources, enhance the sustainability of ocean and coastal economies, preserve our maritime heritage, support sustainable uses and access, provide for adaptive management to enhance our understanding of and capacity to respond to climate change and ocean acidification, and coordinate with our national security and foreign policy interests."
"The order also provides for the development of coastal and marine spatial plans that build upon and improve existing Federal, State, tribal, local, and regional decision making and planning processes." According to Kurtis Alexander, Santa Cruz Sentinel, "The planning will be done by nine regional bodies, building upon existing state and federal laws and overseen by the National Ocean Council, made up of scientists and top administration officials."
These two provisions - ecosystem-based management and marine spatial planning—fit easily with the concept of extending the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, with a local sanctuary advisory council for San Luis Obispo (SLO) County stakeholders. This sanctuary extension will fill the "hole" between the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) and the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS) to ensure consistent planning for the health of the national marine sanctuaries along the central coast of California.
The coastal waters of SLO County are an important addition to the national marine sanctuaries. SLO County beaches, coastal benches, and hills offer residents and tourists extensive vistas of our ocean environment, nearshore, and offshore. What is not seen is the nationally and internationally significant marine environment created by the oceanographic features of the ocean floor geography and the multiple interacting ocean currents. The marine ecosystem begins inland along the rivers, streams, creeks and underground water sources all of which find they way into the ocean. The outer boundaries of this marine ecosystem is 80 miles offshore along the edge of the continental shelf.
The following are identified, nationally and internationally significant, oceanographic characteristics within the proposed area needing protection:
1. Three major upwellings of nutrients, one of which is persistent found between Point Conception and Point Sal.
2. A major bank feature, the Santa Lucia Bank, that rises within 400 meters of the surface.
3. Benthic communities (deep water) of world-wide significance.
4. Arguello Canyon, a 3000 meter deep, five fingered submarine canyon, through which the persistent upwelling flows.
5. High coastal dunes.
6. Estuaries at the mouths of the Santa Ynez and Santa Maria Rivers and the Morro Bay National Estuary.
7. Cetacean gathering areas.
8. Cetacean migration lanes.
9. The only known contiguous mainland sea otter haulout, at Diablo Canyon.
10. Significant percentage of the California sea otter population in the Southern California sea otter range.
11. Several rocky intertidal regions with world class fish diversity and densities.
12. Spawning areas and nurseries.
13. Chumash archaeological sites continuously occupied for more than 9,000 years and unknown numbers of submerged older sites.
14. Magnificent views and vistas attended by millions of visitors.
The proposed Marine Sanctuary Region is a discrete area of the marine environment within and adjacent to the Southern portion of the Santa Maria Basin. It extends west off the coasts of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties from the mean tide line 80 miles west to the Santa Lucia Escarpment. The Northern Boundary line would be the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary ending at Santa Rosa Creek and Southern Boundary being the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
San Luis Obispo County and the northwest coastal portion of Santa Barbara County is largely a rural coastal zone. Its physical characteristics include low volcanic and tectonic mountains, sandy beaches, fertile coastal and inland plains, and arid regions. Air quality has been generally good, but is deteriorating. Water is scarce.
A naturalist exploring the region would find a rich variety of sensitive coastal habitats: Wetlands and estuaries, rocky intertidal zones, hard-bottom communities, subtidal rocky reef communities, numerous offshore rocks used by birds and marine mammals, and hard-bottom substrate. Major feeding and resting areas exist for migratory birds; international treaties protect such habitat.
A fisherman in waters off the coast would find a high-yield commercial fishery taking salmon, rockfish, ling cod, halibut, anchovies, sea bass, shark, rex and dover sole, swordfish, shrimp, rock crab, and other species. Divers seek abalone and sea urchin. Commercial fishing fleets operate from two local ports, Port San Luis and Morro Bay.
A researcher in the area would find a rich biotic diversity resulting from factors such as the geographic location in a major climatic and ocean circulation transition zone, a significant year-round upwelling between Point Conception and Point Sal, notable upwellings at other points in the region, and productive wetlands such as the Santa Ynez River mouth, Santa Maria River mouth and the Morro Bay Estuary. Some of the most intense coastal research on the entire California coast has been done at Diablo Cove, while important benthic communities such as that of the Santa Lucia Bank remain unstudied. Significant cultural sites of the Chumash people are found in the dunes and along the coast to the northern boundary of their territory, Ragged Point.
Threatened and Endangered Species
Threatened and endangered species in the region include the California Least Tern, the California Brown Pelican, the Southern Sea Otter, the Clapper Rail, the Guadalupe Fur Seal, and four species of sea turtle. Seven endangered species of whale, the gray whale, the humpback whale, the blue whale, the fin whale, the right whale, the sei whale, and the sperm whale may be found in the area. The entire population of gray whales in the eastern Pacific migrates through the area twice each year, as does half the northern Pacific population of humpback whales.
This map shows the proposed extensions of extending the MBNMS southward and the
CINMS northward respectively meeting at Point Sal and the Santa Lucia Bank to include the coastal waters of SLO County.
Banner Image of Otter & Pup by Cleve Nash |
