Shifting Tides: Piloting the MPA Watch Intercept Survey in Southern California

Here’s one inescapable reality of community and citizen science: there are many things that you simply cannot learn until you’ve been on the ground with people, doing work side by side in the field. No matter how much you plan and prepare, no matter how many logistical and technical realities you try to anticipate, things will come up once you get out in the world and start testing out your ideas. Adjustments will be needed.

So, it was with excitement and trepidation that Ryan and Jadda traveled to Southern California in June, after almost a full year of planning and development, to pilot a new human activities monitoring method as part of the Center for Community and Citizen Science’s ongoing collaboration with Marine Protected Area (MPA) Watch. Working alongside two of our outstanding MPA Watch partners, Orange County Coastkeeper and WILDCOAST, we were eager to see how our protocols would fare as volunteers made their first attempts at implementing them on crowded southern California beaches.

MPA Watch is a statewide network of 11 organizations that conducts community science monitoring across California’s 124 marine protected areas. Since 2008, this initiative has trained volunteers to observe and collect data on coastal and marine activities. These volunteers are crucial to the monitoring efforts, generating data at a scale that would be impossible under current state budgets. For years, volunteers have walked the beach, counting people and activities. This new method would mean actually approaching folks and implementing an in-person survey. We had many questions: will people be willing to participate? Will volunteers be comfortable implementing the method? Will the data be useful?

The Mission

This pilot intercept survey was co-developed over the course of a year with the MPA Watch Network, state agencies partners, Resources Legacy Fund, experts in the field of recreation monitoring, and the Center for Community and Citizen Science. This addition to the existing MPA Watch observation protocol aims to deepen our understanding of who uses MPAs, why they visit, and their awareness of MPA rules and regulations. This pilot project is a unique collaboration between social scientists, government agencies, environmental nonprofits, and volunteers with the common goal of protecting marine and coastal environments.

On the Ground in Orange County and San Diego

With clipboards in hand, we hit the beautiful beaches of Orange County and San Diego. We joined volunteers, interns, and staff members from Orange County Coastkeepers and WILDCOAST to pilot the intercept survey. This process was both challenging and rewarding. After MPA Watch volunteers conducted the original observation protocol within designated transects, they began approaching beachgoers.

What We Learned

1. We were pleasantly surprised by how willing most people were to participate in the survey. Many expressed genuine interest in learning more about MPAs and their importance.
2. Through testing, we identified areas where the survey and protocol could be streamlined or clarified. This hands-on experience was crucial for refining our approach.
3. MPA Watch interns, volunteers, and staff members, are providing us with essential feedback on the feasibility of incorporating this new protocol into their regular monitoring activities.

We returned from this trip both relieved and extremely excited that, while of course some adjustments were needed, this new method appeared to be viable for the full pilot implementation planned for the summer.

Looking Ahead

This pilot, which has been in full swing this summer in San Diego and Orange Counties, is just the beginning. The insights gained from this experience will help shape the potential statewide implementation of the intercept survey in 2025. We are excited about the possibilities this new protocol offers for enhancing our understanding of MPA use and effectiveness, not to mention broader insights into the human dimensions of California’s coasts and oceans.

A Big Thank You!

We want to extend a BIG thank you to the teams at Orange County Coastkeepers and WILDCOAST for their enthusiasm, dedication, and invaluable insights shared throughout this pilot. Their partnership has been crucial in making this pilot a success!

Stay tuned for more updates as we analyze the data and refine our approach.

Are you interested in getting involved with MPA Watch? Visit (https://mpawatch.org/) to learn more about how you can contribute to marine conservation efforts in your area!