I love Mexico's Kelp forests, because in them, there is an amazing community of fishers, NGOs, academics, & people. They are tough but kind, threatened but resilient. Just like the Baja California dessert, a magic underwater forest exists where collaboration is key for adaptation. Thank you again!

5/5 Our analyses show that MPAs can be effective climate-adaptation tools.

Led by Kumagai, Villasenor, Schoeman, Cavanaugh, Bell, Micheli, @giuliodeleo.bsky.social from Hopkins, @stanforddoerr.bsky.social @uq-cbcs.bsky.social @uclaioes.bsky.social @whoi.bsky.social #usceduau
Pic: E. Sorensen

4/5 After a decade of the establishment of an MPA network in California we learn for the first time that trophic cascades in MPAs enhance climate resilience. Preserving intact food webs matters, but takes time and requires large scale protection.

Long term monitoring is essential.

3/5 MPAs support recovery of fished urchin predators (California sheephead & spiny lobster) in southern California, limiting urchin abundances and preventing overgrazing of kelps in MPAs. Central California has no urchin predators fished that benefit from MPAs.

2/5 Using decades of remote sensing #LterSbc
& underwater surveys #PiscoScience we found that a network of 58 temperate coastal MPAs provided resistance to and recovery from the 2014-2016 #marineheatwaves for kelp forests in Southern California, but not in Central California.