Beneath the rolling waves surrounding California’s Channel Islands lies a submerged landscape that can often feel like an entirely different planet. Towering kelp forests sway rhythmically in the ocean currents, patrolled by massive sheephead fish striking in bold shades of pink and black with prominent, protruding teeth. Refrigerator-sized giant sea bass cruise through the water column, while seals and sea lions dart playfully among vibrant colonies of colorful sponges and delicate sea stars.
"We sometimes think of the Channel Islands as our Galapagos in California," said Doug McCauley, a professor of marine science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, capturing the remarkable biodiversity and ecological importance of the region.
Yet, this thriving cornucopia of marine wildlife was not always so vibrant. Violet Sage Walker, the chair of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, vividly recalled viewing historical documentary footage depicting the Channel Islands from an era before modern marine protections were enacted. During that period of intensive commercial fishing, local kelp forests and key species were heavily depleted.
"It looked like Mars, like a dead planet," she said, reflecting on the stark contrast between the damaged past and the flourishing present.
That dramatic transformation began to take shape in 2003, when the state designated surrounding waters as California Marine Protected Areas, or MPAs. Operating under a conservation strategy closely akin to creating underwater state parks, these zones now encompass roughly 150 square miles of protected waters. Today, the islands function as vital safe havens for marine flora and fauna, effectively serving as natural nurseries for baby fish while safeguarding dozens of iconic species, including kelp bass, rockfish, leopard sharks, and countless others.
Now, for the first time in 15 years, state officials are actively considering sweeping proposals to create entirely new protected areas and expand existing ones. This initiative marks a major milestone as part of California’s first-ever comprehensive review of its entire MPA network.
"This is a historic opportunity that we don’t want to miss," McCauley said, emphasizing the urgency of the current policy window.
Building California’s Marine Protections
Marine Protected Areas are officially designated ocean zones where targeted restrictions on activities such as commercial and recreational fishing, oil and gas drilling, and other forms of seafloor disturbance help preserve fragile marine ecosystems. By limiting these disruptions, these zones give damaged habitats the necessary room to recover naturally.
While specific protections vary by site, the overarching ecological benefits are well-documented. In areas where industrial and human disturbances are removed, researchers consistently observe larger fish, more abundant wildlife, and healthier overall habitats, according to Sandy Aylesworth, director of the Pacific Initiative for Nature at the Natural Resources Defense Council, or NRDC.
Among the potential additions under review for 2026 are two prominent proposals for protected zones located along the state’s Central Coast: the Point Sal and Mishopshno State Marine Conservation Area proposals. Significantly, each of these sites is co-sponsored by a California Native American Tribe working in direct collaboration with the NRDC. In the case of the Mishopshno proposal, the Environmental Defense Center, a Santa Barbara-based non-profit environmental organization, is also a co-sponsor.
These Tribally sponsored proposals represent a first-of-their-kind development for California’s MPA network. They offer the state a historic opportunity to formally recognize the longstanding role of California Tribes as traditional ocean stewards and to make meaningful progress on its official commitments to Tribal marine stewardship.
A Rare Convergence of Habitats at Point Sal
The proposed Point Sal State Marine Conservation Area would encompass approximately nine square miles of coastal waters off Santa Barbara County. Within this zone, a prominent geographical headland shelters the waters on its southern side from fierce prevailing winds. This natural barrier creates calmer aquatic conditions where vulnerable fish larvae can linger and mature safely away from turbulent open-ocean currents.
Nearby Lion Rock serves as a vital terrestrial gathering place for hundreds of seals and sea lions, as well as an important roosting area for native seabirds. Meanwhile, surrounding kelp forests and intricate rocky reefs provide complex structural habitat for a wide array of fish, sharks, sea otters, and other marine wildlife. Documenting this ecological richness, scientists have recorded over 880 sea lions utilizing the area in a single day.
"It’s a little tiny paradise," Walker said.
For the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, which proudly co-sponsored the proposal, Point Sal holds deep and enduring cultural significance. Walker described ancient village sites scattered up and down the coast, illustrating a profound, unbroken relationship with the area that is deeply woven into Chumash history.
"Our people lived and thrived there for thousands of years," she noted.
Preserving Marine Ecosystems and Cultural Connections
That rich history is central to another defining feature of the current MPA review process: the formal integration of Tribal stewardship. California’s existing network of MPAs does not currently feature formal Tribal co-management systems, despite the fact that local Tribes have expertly stewarded the lands and waters of the Central Coast for more than 10,000 years. The Point Sal and Mishopshno proposals stand out as groundbreaking examples of modern conservation led directly by California Tribes.
Walker stressed her desire to see the state establish a clear, institutional pathway for coastal Tribes to continue participating meaningfully in ocean stewardship. This vision includes secured access for traditional cultural practices and an active, permanent role in marine resource management.
"Being able to reconnect and offer our vision and our help with dealing with climate resiliency and coastal stewardship is critical," she said.
The proposed Mishopshno State Marine Conservation Area offers another compelling model of what contemporary Tribal stewardship can achieve. Situated farther down the coast near Carpinteria, the site features another unusual and biologically rich convergence of habitats. Just offshore lies a 1.6-mile rocky reef supporting one of the Central Coast’s most resilient and enduring kelp forests.
Adjacent sandy-bottom habitats, sweeping beaches, and a protected salt marsh create a network of interconnected nursery and feeding grounds for marine life. This dynamic ecosystem supports hundreds of bat rays, large fish species, and juvenile white sharks. The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, alongside the NRDC and the Environmental Defense Center, sponsored the proposal to protect the area, which appropriately takes its name from a historic Chumash village in the region.
A Vital Refuge for Marine Wildlife
Renowned shark filmmaker, documentarian, and researcher Carlos Gauna has spent thousands of hours documenting the very marine environment slated for protection under the Mishopshno MPA proposal.
"I live and breathe sharks daily, and this is one of the most amazing spots in the world to see a great white shark. There is literally nothing like it anywhere else on the California coast," he said.
Over years of intensive underwater filming in the area, Gauna has personally documented numerous instances of illegal fishing, reckless jet skiers purposely ramming into vulnerable wildlife, and other anthropogenic harms directed at the local marine population.
"I’ve seen sharks get hit and injured by boats, or even deliberately killed," he said.
Gauna believes that securing official MPA status for the area will help deter these damaging actions by clearly signaling to visitors, boaters, and fishers that the region is a designated, legally protected safe haven for marine wildlife.
Drawing on his extensive international experience, Gauna points to successful protected areas abroad as a proven model for what the Mishopshno MPA might ultimately achieve. At Cabo Pulmo in Baja California, he noted, the ecological contrast across the protected area boundary is stark. Inside the reserve lies a thriving, highly abundant marine ecosystem.
"It’s one of the most stable and beautiful areas in the world for marine wildlife," he said. Conversely, just outside the reserve boundaries where intensive commercial fishing continues unchecked, "it’s an underwater desert."
An Urgent Moment for Conservation
Voters across California deeply value the state’s iconic coastal waters and consistently advocate for policies that keep them healthy and biologically diverse. Polling indicates that approximately 70% of California voters strongly support expanding MPA protections at both Point Sal and Mishopshno.
Although a small contingent of commercial and recreational fishing interests has raised opposition to the new MPA proposals, fisheries experts point out that there is no credible scientific evidence demonstrating that California’s established MPAs cause financial harm to surrounding fisheries. In fact, empirical research often reveals the opposite trend. A comprehensive 2021 scientific study examining two Southern California MPAs established in 2012 found that commercial fishing boats operating in the adjacent waters actually experienced an increase in lobster catches of about 225% over a six-year period, largely due to the spillover effect from the thriving reserves.
Final decisions regarding the proposed expansions and additions to the California MPA network rest with the California Fish and Game Commission, with formal votes scheduled to take place during meetings from October 14th through October 16th.
"We have an opportunity now to protect the areas where California has jurisdiction, at a time when the Federal government is undoing protections more broadly," McCauley said.
Because official state reviews of California’s MPA network occur only once every decade, marine scientists and conservation advocates note that the Fish and Game Commission is unlikely to reconsider these two specific proposals for many years if they are not advanced now.
The outcome of the October 2026 proceedings will help define the next chapter of California’s pioneering marine protection network. For Walker and other Indigenous leaders, the stakes extend far beyond the immediate policy debate.
"The ocean, given the opportunity, will thrive," Walker said. "But we have to give it the space and the time to heal itself."