MPA Watch is a network of programs that support healthy oceans through community science.

MPA Watch trains volunteers to observe and collect data on human uses of coastal and marine resources inside and outside marine protected areas (MPAs). Volunteers use standardized protocols to collect relevant, scientifically rigorous, and broadly accessible data.

The Environmental Action Committee of West Marin (EAC) is a certified MPA Watch network partner based in Marin County, California.

The Marin MPA Watch is a partnership of EAC, Point Reyes National Seashore, and California Academy of Sciences who train volunteers to observe and collect unbiased data on coastal and marine resource use in and near California MPAs. The data is used to inform the management, enforcement, and science of California's MPAs and allow us to see how human uses are changing as a result of MPA implementation.

Volunteers learn about the coastal environment, become community scientists, and generate quantities of monitoring data that would not be possible under the current state budget. You can join the Marin MPA Watch team by attending a field training date on the beach. The best part is once you are trained, you can schedule your monitoring dates around the tides, and go at your leisure. Learn more about the volunteer requirements.

Learn more by scrolling down through our page to learn more, then find a date under one of the specific locations to be trained. Don’t see a date for a location you want yet? Don’t worry, they will be coming soon. Got questions? Contact us or call the office at (415) 663.9312

Summer 2024 MPA Watch Training season

Dates coming soon…

What are California’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)?

California's coast and ocean are among our most treasured resources. The productivity, wildness, and beauty found here is central to California's identity, heritage, and economy. The need to safeguard the long-term health of California's marine life was recognized by the California Legislature in 1999 with the passage of the Marine Life Protection Act. This Act aims to protect California’s marine natural heritage through establishing a statewide network of marine protected areas (MPAs) designed, created, and managed using sound science and stakeholder input.

MPAs protect the diversity and abundance of marine life, the habitats they depend on, and the integrity of marine ecosystems. The Marine Life Protection Act recognizes that a combination of MPAs (marine reserves, conservation areas, and parks) with varied amounts of allowed activities and protections can help conserve biological diversity, provide a sanctuary for marine life, and enhance recreational and educational opportunities. MPAs can also provide scientific reference points to assist with resource management decisions, and protect a variety of marine habitats, communities, and ecosystems for their economic and intrinsic value, for generations to come.

The Environmental Action Committee of West Marin (EAC)
is a proud partner of The Golden Gate MPA Collaborative,
which is co-chaired by our Executive Director.