Pelagic Havens | 50 Years of National Marine Sanctuaries

PELAGIC HAVENS 50 YEARS

of National Marine Sanctuaries

BY CHUCK GRAHAM

For every channel crossing, I’ve made paddling from the mainland to the Channel Islands National Park, it’s always a relief leaving the shipping lanes in my wake and entering the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary (NMS).

Once the southbound lane is in my rearview mirror, the Channel Islands NMS offers sanctuary surrounding the Northern Chain. It’s not only a haven for this weary kayaker, but for hundreds of species of fish, invertebrates, seabirds, and marine mammals, the pelagic food web in all its glory.

The NMS has been protecting the ocean and Great Lake resources for 50 years; an anniversary reached in October 2022. It’s a celebration of aquatic life and cultural resources as it coincides with outdoor recreators and increasing tourism while maintaining that crucial balance of sustainability.

“Fifty years ago, the U.S. ushered in a new era of ocean conservation by creating the National Marine Sanctuary System,” said Claire Fackler, National Education Liaison and Volunteer Coordinator for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. “Since then, we’ve grown into a nationwide network of 15 National Marine Sanctuaries and two marine national monuments that conserve more than 620,000 square miles of spectacular ocean and Great Lakes waters, an area nearly the size of Alaska.”

Of those 15 National Marine Sanctuaries (and four others that are up for designation), five of those NMS are on the West Coast, one of those being the Olympic Coast in Washington State. The rest fall in line along the California Coast from the Greater Farallones, Cordell Bank, Monterey Bay, Chumash Heritage (up for designation), down to the waters surrounding the Channel Islands.

“The National Marine Sanctuary System will continue to improve protection(s) of existing sanctuaries and will also expand the sanctuary system,” said Chris Mobley, Superintendent of NOAA’s Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. “We will strive for more diversity, equity, and inclusion as we work with communities, stakeholders, and partners, and we will increase our engagement with tribes.”

Over the past 50 years, some of those protections have seen a dramatic increase in species returning to the Santa Barbara Channel. In the 1990s, there were virtually no humpbacks in the channel, and now they are here year-round. Tony Orr, a wildlife biologist for NOAA, says overall, pinniped numbers are up at the islands and the surrounding waters, specifically at Pt. Bennett on San Miguel Island. Common murres have returned to breed and nest at Prince Island, located northeast of San Miguel Island, following a 100-year absence due to egg collecting and other disturbances.

“Numerous species have shown significant recovery around the islands, including many seabirds, pinnipeds, fish, and baleen whales,” continued Mobley. “In addition, working with the State of California and NOAA Fisheries, we successfully established a network of marine reserves and marine conservation areas encompassing about 20 percent of sanctuary waters in 2007. Diversity, abundance, and size of many species have increased within this network, increasing overall system resiliency and health. Finally, as shown in our latest sanctuary condition report, the sanctuary continues to sustainably support many uses, including commercial and recreational fishing, as well as diving, surfing, birdwatching, boating, and other recreational activities.”

However, challenges loom on the horizon. Climate change is one of those and arguably the largest, most significant threats to marine ecosystems, including sanctuaries. The NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries says its workforce is equipped and ready to predict and respond to climate and environmental changes.

“We will work with NOAA, other agencies, partners, and communities to implement effective restoration, climate adaptation, and climate resilience strategies for marine ecosystems and coastal communities,” added Mobley.

While recently leading a kayak trip back from Potato Harbor to Scorpion Anchorage on Santa Cruz Island, my attention was suddenly diverted by thunderous claps way out on sanctuary waters. In the distance, it sounded like canon fire. However, over my left shoulder, I caught sight of a massive tail fluke rising out of the uneven sea conditions. A slap-happy humpback whale was reveling in the northwest winds. It was repeatedly smacking its massive tail on the surface of the water, a fitting example of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary providing sustainable habitat 50 years in the making and still counting. 