Sea stars and anemones along the rocky shore of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Photo by Steve Lonhart/MBNMS/NOAA

On September 21, the landmark plan to create Marine Protected Areas and marine reserves to protect the scenic coastline and rich marine life of California's Central Coast went into effect. These new protected areas were unanimously adopted by the California Fish & Game Commission last April and affect designated areas from Point Conception near Santa Barbara to Half Moon Bay. The goal of these new protected areas is to help recover declining fish stocks and ocean health, and protect ecologically-important areas for future generations. This action marks completion of the initial phase of a five-stage process to develop a network of marine protected areas off the entire 1,100-mile California coastline. California is the first state in the country to propose such a comprehensive plan to protect its marine resources.