A synthesis of ecological and social outcomes from the California MPA network (NCEAS working group final report)

As part of the Decadal Management Review, and with support from California's Ocean Protection Council, the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) initiated a working group to develop an understanding of how the State of California's Network of marine protected areas (MPAs) has performed over the past decade, and the lessons those insights provide for future monitoring and management of the network. The primary goal of this MPA analysis and synthesis project is to perform social and ecological analyses using a diverse set of available monitoring data that address critical MPA performance evaluation questions, guided by the MPA Monitoring Action Plan and the recommendations of both the Decadal Evaluation and the Climate Resilience Working Groups, and working in close coordination with long-term MPA monitoring researchers. The working group focused on four main aspects of MPA evaluation: Ecological Performance, Habitat, Climate Resilience, and Human Engagement.