50 years ago, when I began exploring the ocean, nobody imagined that anything we might do to or take from the ocean would affect its overall health. Now we know better. We know, for example, that we’ve taken more than 90 percent of many commercially exploited species from the sea, and that nearly half of the coral reefs have disappeared. The health of the ocean, humankind’s life support system, is at a crisis point.

We’re just starting to realize the true impacts of climate change and other human activities on the ocean, where protection has lagged far behind conservation efforts on land. The frightening decreases in fish size and abundance are well documented. The state of the fishing and seafood industries supports this finding, with declines in the number of vessels and processors, and drastically reduced revenues generated from California fisheries.  Now is the time to take action and put the Pacific on the road to recovery and long-term health.

The Obama Administration has made ocean protection a national priority, launching a new ocean policy task force in June–which the President dubbed Ocean Month–to unify management of the nation’s coasts and waters. This is exactly what is needed: a coherent national policy based on science and informed by local economic interests. As has become common when it comes to forward-thinking natural resource management, California is leading the charge.

On August 5th, the north central coast of California will have a new plan for ocean health under the Marine Life Protection Act, a landmark law passed 10 years ago to preserve the state’s most iconic attractions: our coast and ocean. After two years of careful study and community input, the Fish & Game Commission is poised to adopt a system of marine protected areas that will conserve the region’s sea life and habitats.

Local stakeholders have carefully reviewed scientific and economic data to create an ocean health plan that will protect key sites, such as the Farallon Islands and Point Reyes Headlands, while leaving 90 percent of the coast open for fishing. The plan is intended to meet the needs of diverse community groups, including fishermen, hoteliers and restaurateurs, conservationists and surfers.  It represents a fair compromise that will minimize short-term economic impacts while seeking significant conservation value, and thereby, long term economic gain.

With fisheries in decline, we can’t afford to delay these essential protections. The science and economic data are clear: the Integrated Preferred Alternative plan is the best solution for the north central coast.  I urge the California Fish & Game Commission to adopt this proposal “as is” to ensure the future health and resilience of our ocean.  

Marine explorer and oceanographer Sylvia Earle is Chair of the Deep Search Foundation and Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society. She led the development of Google’s “Ocean in Google Earth,” which launched in February.  Dr. Earle has logged more than 6500 hours underwater, led over 70 expeditions and set a record for solo diving to a depth of 3,300 feet.  She received the 2009 TED Prize for her wish to protect Earth’s ‘blue heart’ by establishing a global network of marine protected areas.