Why Marine Protected Areas are Important for the Future
By Hannah Becker
Marine Protected Areas (MPA) are protected areas in our ocean and estuaries. MPAs restricts some human activity for conservation purposes, typically to protect natural and cultural resources. They are important because they provide opportunities for people to experience and study marine life that are undisturbed by human activity. In addition, MPA’s provide ocean life and their habitats to be sheltered from danger, pursuits, or trouble from human impacts. Furthermore, this can also allow marine resources to recover from the lack of supply. Learning about MPA’s can build your desire and passion to make a change and to get involved with the much needed work to be accomplished for present and future generations.
Marine Protected Areas are important for the future because it can protect depleted, threatened, rare, and endangered species and populations. Furthermore, protecting MPA’s can help preserve habitats that are considered critical for the survival of lifecycles of species.
California’s coast and ocean are among our most treasured resources. It’s beauty can be preserved if we all join together to make a change. In addition, in many parts of the world, there is a growing focus and appreciation of the need for more MPA’s and for better management generally of coastal and marine environments. Future generations can become sensitive to conserving marine ecosystems and wildlife. The succeeding decades of MPA’s depend on us to keep our oceans clean, protected, and safe for us humans and the life that is within. Marine protected areas can achieve so much by investing with significant efforts into expanding them and making them better overall.
Action taken at these sites also make a contribution to wider conservation efforts. The oceans suffer greatly mainly because of ignorance and greed of us humans. We’ve lost coral reefs, marine wildlife is being threatened to extinction, sea level is rising, and the list goes on. There is hope, but we must educate and take action for the oceans. You can visit a marine protected area. Your involvement can help our ocean’s health and the creatures that call it home. Through your work, desire, and passion, you will learn how important it is to keep our MPA’s sustainable through all diversities and cultures. Getting involved with protecting our wildlife will give you the experience and tools to grow a love for MPA’s and what they do. Moreover, many species and populations are vital to ocean ecosystems and need as much protection and love as they can get.
A world with healthy oceans is a world with life.
Hannah Becker is part of the MPA Ambassador program at Mar Vista High School.
