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• Photo of interpretive tidepool sign Point Pinos Tidepool Taskforce Unveils New Signs to Protect Marine Life, And Announces Research Team to Study Human Impacts PACIFIC GROVE, CA: The Mayor of Pacific Grove, Sandy Koffman, along with members of the Point Pinos Tidepool Task Force, and members of the public officially unveiled six new interpretive signs at Point Pinos today. The signs are part of a larger community-based effort to increase awareness and stewardship among visitors to the tidepools. Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation Executive Director, Dennis Long, also announced that Dr. David Mayer from Tenera Environmental Services, an environmental consulting firm from San Luis Obispo, CA was competitively selected to investigate the relative impacts of human uses on the Point Pinos tidepools. "The City of Pacific Grove is committed to protection and preservation of our shoreline and tidepools," said Sandy Koffman, Mayor of Pacific Grove. "We are grateful to the organizations and individuals who have contributed to the development of the new interpretative signs and research project, and we look forward to continued collaboration to improve public awareness and understanding of these magnificent and fragile resources." Point Pinos is one of the most popular, easily accessible, and historically important tidepool areas on the California coast. Asilomar State Beach and Conference Center, located adjacent to Point Pinos, annually receives over 500,000 visitors per year. Many of these park visitors also visit the Point Pinos tidepools. In the last few years, increasing numbers of Pacific Grove residents have raised concerns to the City of Pacific Grove and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary about the high level of human use and associated impacts to the tidepools. The Coalition to Preserve and Restore Point Pinos was created in response to this public interest under the direction of Jim Willoughby. The Coalition has been very successful in advocating for stronger protections of tidepool resources, and was instrumental in getting over 1700 Pacific Grove voters to support the Pacific Grove Marine Gardens Fish Refuge Conservation and Protection Initiative, which among other things calls for increased protection of tidepool resources. In response to this public concern, the City of Pacific Grove established the citizen-based Point Pinos Tidepool Task Force to help resolve the issue. The Task Force decided to focus on three main initiatives: improve public awareness about tidepool conservation through signage; improve public awareness about tidepool conservation through on-site volunteer interpreters; and conduct research to increase the understanding about the role of human impact in changes that occur in rocky intertidal communities. Research and education subcommittees were established to help implement the three initiatives. "The residents of Pacific Grove are very passionate about protecting these tidepools for future generations," said William J. Douros, Superintendent of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. "The Point Pinos Tidepool Task Force embodies this passion and is deeply committed to protecting these fragile resources. I am pleased that the Sanctuary was invited to participate as a member of the Task Force, and look forward to helping implement some the initiatives that increase our understanding and the public's awareness and appreciation of these resources." The education subcommittee was tasked with informing the public about tidepool conservation and etiquette. The subcommittee developed the message for six new interpretive tidepool signs, which were fabricated and paid for by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The City of Pacific Grove recently installed the signs at public access points along Point Pinos. The signs provide reminders, in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, to visitors about proper tidepool etiquette, such as watching where you step, avoid disturbing plants and animals, and not collecting specimens. The education committee will also enlist the help of a local conservation organization, BayNet, to station volunteer docents along the tidepools to inform the public about proper tidepool etiquette. The research subcommittee was tasked to develop and oversee a research project to evaluate public concerns over the impacts that human collecting and use have on the Point Pinos tidepools. The research will focus on the biology and ecology of these tidepools, and investigate socio-economic aspects of human use of the tidepools. Funding for the $76,000 study was made possible by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, City of Pacific Grove, and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The project will be administered by the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation. "The Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation was selected by the Pacific Grove Point Pinos Taskforce to serve as a neutral fiscal sponsor and administrator of the research project," said Dennis Long, Executive Director of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation. "We're seeking to establish how the biodiversity and abundance of marine life at Pt. Pinos has changed over time, and to what extent those changes are attributable to human impacts. I'm confident that when the project is completed we'll have a comprehensive set of information on which to make management decisions." The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is one of 13 national marine sanctuaries administered by the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Sanctuary extends from Marin County to San Luis Obispo County, encompassing 300 miles of shoreline and 5,322 square miles of ocean. It is home to numerous mammals, seabirds, fish, invertebrates, and plants, in a remarkably productive coastal environment. For more information about Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, visit http://montereybay.nos.noaa.gov Additional
Contact: Research
Subcommittee Education
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