Educational Resources

The Marine Protected Area (MPA) Education and Outreach Initiative supports and enhances the California Department of Fish & Game's efforts in implementing the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) specific to interpretation, education, and outreach. Through the collaboration and input from multiple agencies, organizations, and individuals, and with approval from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, we have created a suite of products, provided here, with consistent messaging and language that may be valuable for your outreach needs.

These activities and products have increased public awareness of and support for the MPAs and it is anticipated that these efforts will have a "spill-over" effect in terms of garnering political support and funding for the statewide networks. The MPA Outreach products here (including brochures, signs, videos, presentations, etc.) have been created with input from a number of education experts and marine agencies. By working with the appropriate agency, the product templates provided here can be easily adapted to suit you own MPA educational needs. Doing so will help to establish an identity and recognition for the important network of marine protected areas.

• Interpretive Products
  Several MPA printed publications, including brochures, fact sheets, maps, and posters, are available here to organizations and individuals wanting to learn more about California’s MPAs.
  
  
• Digital Media
  The Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation offers several multimedia products, including videos, 3-D animations, and presentations, many of which are available here for immediate viewing and/or easy download.
  
  
• Small Grants
  The Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation occasionally awards small grants in support of programs that enhance education and outreach efforts about MPAs on the central coast. Here you will find descriptions and links to the products produced from projects funded in 2009 and 2010.
  
  
• Trainings & Workshops
  The Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation (MBSF) offers training programs and workshops to organizations on MPAs, presentations from previous programs are available here for download.
  
  
• Cool Stuff
  An interactive section of the website that offers visitors the chance to view incredible videos of animals seldom seen by the public, learn some new facts about MPAs and ocean creatures, or participate in a kelp hunt. Cool Stuff truly has something for everyone to enjoy!
  
  
• Partners
  The MPA Education and Outreach Initiative is a collaboration of federal, state, local, and non-profit organizations. Here you will find links to our partner organizations, many of which include MPA related resources on their websites.
  
  
• Stay Connected (Social Media)
  Stay informed on the latest news and connect with other individuals involved in MPA education by joining our list-serve or becoming our friend on Facebook.
  
  
• Recursos Disponible en Español (Resources Available in Spanish)
  Several educational materials including brochures, fact sheets, exhibit panels, and videos have been translated into Spanish.

We are grateful to the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation for funding the MPA Education and Outreach Initiative, and to all our other contributing partners for amassing the wealth of MPA education resources found here.