Aerial Monitoring of Ocean Vessels in Southern California March 2017 – Annual Project Report

Objective long-term data on the type, extent and location of boating and boat-based fishing directly supports the success of marine spatial planning and resource management of coastal oceans. This project was initiated to generate an objective fishery-independent dataset to define the extent of boating activities in the state waters off the coast of mainland southern California. Now that a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) has been established off this coast, these data allow in-depth descriptions and analyses of trends in fishing activities and compliance with the new regulations associated with this network. This information will be very useful in the adaptive management and enforcement of this network. This project reflects the work of three partners: The Bay Foundation, LightHawk, and Vantuna Research Group.