Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

The purpose of this paper is two-fold. First, this paper investigates the importance of understanding the differing exploitation strategies and spatial-temporal patterns of marine resource use by humans, namely fishing. Implications of this information to California’s Marine Life Potection Act (MLPA) of 1999 will be examined. Second, this paper describes an associated ongoing research project which is aimed at documenting the spatial and temporal distribution of fishing effort on kelp beds in La Jolla and Point Loma using high-resolution digital cameras. The importance of linking the distribution of fishing effort to underwater microhabitats will be evaluated, and preliminary observations from the study will be briefly assessed in reference to potential local marine reserve positioning.