July 1, 2025

Marine Protected Area Statewide Leadership Team: Work Plan 2025 -2030

On July 1, 2025, the Marine Protected Area Statewide Leadership Team (MSLT) released a new Work Plan outlining key actions to enhance the effective, adaptive management of California’s globally recognized marine protected area (MPA) network. Recently honored on the IUCN […]

Categories: Coastal Habitats, Habitats, Marine Habitats, Marine Protected Areas, Report Release, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity

June 18, 2025

Monthly Newsletter – California Coast and Ocean News – June

The June 2025 OPC newsletter is available!

Categories: 30x30, Climate Change, Coastal Habitats, Dungeness Crab Task Force, Equity and Environmental Justice, Event, Funding Opportunities and Updates, Habitats, Kelp, Leadership and Staff Updates, Marine Habitats, Marine Protected Areas, Monthly Newsletter, OPC Meetings, Outreach and Education, Press Releases, Public Comment Opportunity, Report Release, Sea Level Rise, Strategic Goal 1: Climate Change, Strategic Goal 2: Equity, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity, Strategic Goal 4: Sustainable Blue Economy, Sustainable Fisheries and Marine Ecosystems, Tribal Engagement, Water Quality

June 18, 2025

Request for Proposals: Advancing 30×30 in Coastal Waters – Letter of Intent due by July 18, 2025

In October 2020, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-82-20, advancing environmental conservation as an administration priority and elevating the role of nature in combating climate change. As part of this Executive Order, California committed to the goal of conserving 30% […]

Categories: 30x30, Coastal Habitats, Funding Opportunities and Updates, Habitats, Marine Habitats, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity, Sustainable Fisheries and Marine Ecosystems

June 13, 2025

Updates from the June 10, 2025 Council Meeting

The meeting marked a major milestone in California’s effort to conserve 30 percent of coastal waters by 2030 (30×30), while advancing key goals across OPC’s Strategic Plan. Council actions supported stronger protections for marine biodiversity, deeper tribal partnership in sea level rise adaptation, enhanced enforcement of marine protected areas (MPAs), and increased community resilience in the face of climate change.

Categories: Climate Change, Coastal Habitats, Equity and Environmental Justice, Funding Opportunities and Updates, Habitats, Leadership and Staff Updates, Marine Habitats, Marine Protected Areas, Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia, OPC Meetings, Report Release, Sea Level Rise, Strategic Goal 1: Climate Change, Strategic Goal 2: Equity, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity, Strategic Goal 4: Sustainable Blue Economy, Sustainable Fisheries and Marine Ecosystems, Tribal Engagement, Water Quality

June 12, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: California’s Marine Protected Area Network Recognized as International Gold Standard for Marine Conservation

SACRAMENTO – This week, California’s marine protected area network was officially accepted to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas, a high-profile international certification that recognizes the most successful examples of biodiversity conservation worldwide. California’s system of marine protected areas, or MPAs, is the first nature network in the world to receive this honor.

Categories: 30x30, Coastal Habitats, Habitats, Marine Habitats, Marine Protected Areas, Press Releases, Strategic Goal 1: Climate Change, Strategic Goal 2: Equity, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity

May 20, 2025

Monthly Newsletter – California Coast and Ocean News – May

The May 2025 OPC newsletter is available!

Categories: Coastal Habitats, Dungeness Crab Task Force, Equity and Environmental Justice, Event, Funding Opportunities and Updates, Habitats, Leadership and Staff Updates, Marine Habitats, Marine Protected Areas, Monthly Newsletter, Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia, OPC Meetings, Other Public Meetings, Outreach and Education, Public Comment Opportunity, Sea Level Rise, Strategic Goal 1: Climate Change, Strategic Goal 2: Equity, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity, Strategic Goal 4: Sustainable Blue Economy, Sustainable Fisheries and Marine Ecosystems, Tribal Engagement, Water Quality

March 27, 2025

Monthly Newsletter – California Coast and Ocean News – March / April 2025

The March / April 2025 OPC newsletter is available!

Categories: Coastal Habitats, Dungeness Crab Task Force, Equity and Environmental Justice, Event, Funding Opportunities and Updates, Habitats, Leadership and Staff Updates, Marine Habitats, Marine Protected Areas, Monthly Newsletter, Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia, OPC Meetings, Other Public Meetings, Outreach and Education, Public Comment Opportunity, Sea Level Rise, Strategic Goal 1: Climate Change, Strategic Goal 2: Equity, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity, Strategic Goal 4: Sustainable Blue Economy, Sustainable Fisheries and Marine Ecosystems, Tribal Engagement, Water Quality

March 27, 2025

Benefits of Marine Protection for California’s People and Communities 

California is home to one of the largest networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the world, serving as a global model for marine conservation. Covering over 16% of California’s coastal waters, this extensive Network of 124 MPAs provides much-needed […]

Categories: Coastal Habitats, Habitats, Marine Habitats, Marine Protected Areas, Outreach and Education, Strategic Goal 2: Equity, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity

March 6, 2025

Introducing SeaSketch California – a Mapping Tool for California’s MPA Network

The Ocean Protection Council (OPC) is excited to announce the launch of SeaSketch California, a cutting-edge, open-source mapping platform designed specifically to provide spatial data and analysis tools related to the 2023 petitions proposing changes to California’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). 

Categories: Event, Grant Projects, Habitats, Marine Protected Areas, Other Public Meetings, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity

March 4, 2025

Updates from the March 3, 2025 Council Meeting

The March meeting advanced initiatives across OPC’s Strategic Plan goals, including adopting a resolution on ocean acidification and hypoxia, funding for sea level rise adaptation planning, enhancing management of marine protected areas (MPAs), and supporting climate-ready fisheries management.

Categories: Climate Change, Coastal Habitats, Equity and Environmental Justice, Funding Opportunities and Updates, Habitats, Leadership and Staff Updates, Marine Habitats, Marine Protected Areas, Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia, OPC Meetings, Report Release, Sea Level Rise, Strategic Goal 1: Climate Change, Strategic Goal 2: Equity, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity, Strategic Goal 4: Sustainable Blue Economy, Sustainable Fisheries and Marine Ecosystems, Tribal Engagement, Water Quality