Protecting Our Ocean Legacy: The Case for Expanding Marine Protected Areas at Cabrillo

In the southern parts of San Diego’s Point Loma peninsula, Cabrillo National Monument serves as a symbol for both natural beauty and historical significance. Visitors can enjoy breathtaking ocean views, learn history at the Old Point Loma Lighthouse and explore the tidepools - shallow seawater that forms in the intertidal zone. Now, we have a chance to protect more of this beautiful place as environmental stressors pose threats to kelp forests and marine life that live within.

Oceans

December 30, 2024

At the heart of this southern coastal treasure in California lies the Cabrillo State Marine Reserve (SMR), a Marine Protected Area (MPA) that plays a crucial role in preserving the rich marine ecosystem. However, the Cabrillo MPA currently encompasses just under half a square mile in the ocean. While this protection has been vital, it represents only a fraction of the area needed to ensure the long-term health of our marine ecosystems.

Photo by Mio Senzaki | TPIN

Now, we are proposing to expand the protected area. This initiative aligns with an ambitious global conservation movement known as the 30×30 initiative—a worldwide commitment to protect 30% of Earth’s land and sea by 2030, which California has helped to lead.

This protected zone could be critical to safeguard an intricate underwater world of kelp forests, rocky reefs, and surfgrass beds that provide essential habitat for many species—from tiny whelks and crabs to majestic gray whales that migrate through here. MPAs serve as underwater parks, where both living and non-living marine resources are fully protected by law.

Greater protection is needed for the unique rocky intertidal ecosystems that make Cabrillo’s tidepools so special. That’s why we are advocating for an expansion of this critical marine protected area. With your support, we can ensure that the waters off Cabrillo National Monument continue to thrive as a living legacy for generations to come.