New Report: CCS in Oregon Marine Reserves

Community and citizen science (CCS) has played a role in marine reserve monitoring throughout the State of Oregon for more than a decade. A new report, led by our team, highlights the breadth and depth of CCS activities related to marine reserve program priorities and goals, as well as participant contributions and outcomes. This complements a similar report highlighting the role of community and citizen science in California’s marine protected area implementation prepared for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to inform the MPA Decadal Management Review (see here). This represents another step toward a comprehensive picture of marine and coastal CCS along the West Coast, in an effort to support conservation and management strategies in the years ahead.

Background

Since 2008, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has managed Oregon’s Marine Reserve Program, which was established by Executive Order No. 08-07 to conserve marine habitats and biodiversity. The ODFW Marine Reserves Program has a focus on studying both ecological and human dimensions of the reserves. There is a wide variety of studies, methods, and activities developed and implemented to monitor and manage the reserve system over the long term. Each of Oregon’s five marine reserves is unique, its own conservation aims and outcomes along with different impacts to people and communities at each site. Goals of the marine reserve program have been accomplished through a variety of efforts and partnerships, including the utilization of CCS approaches to administer monitoring, research, engagement, and education activities.

We examined the CCS efforts of 6 programs that have been a key part of coastal monitoring and engagement activities within or adjacent to Oregon’s marine reserves. Since 2009 they have involved:

Download the report to learn more about the details of these CCS activities, and our recommendations for the future.