Oregon’s five marine reserves and adjacent marine protected areas are vital to the health of our coastal habitat, benefitting seabirds, fish, marine mammals, and all coastal life above and below the surface. Marine reserves prohibit removal of marine life and ocean development while marine protected areas allow some fishing activity while still prohibiting ocean development. These underwater wilderness areas conserve habitats and biodiversity, act as a buffer from human-caused impacts, and serve as “living laboratories” for scientific research. We need your support to ensure Oregon’s marine reserves are ecologically viable and to ensure they continue to be a priority program for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
In 2024, new legislation passed that significantly bolstered Oregon’s Marine Reserve Program based on recommendations from a 10-year assessment conducted by OSU. The Oregon Ocean Alliance helped make this happen. However, there is danger that the funds promised in this bill will be shifted to other uses within the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife budget.
We are working diligently to ensure Oregon’s marine reserve and protected area program stays intact and its full potential is realized.
