Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

This paper and the associated web site summarize the results of my Capstone Project. The primary purpose of the project was to raise awareness of the Scripps Marine Protected Area (MPA), both of its contents and its context. This has been achieved by showcasing marine life within the MPA on the website gallery, by producing an initial species catalog for fish, invertebrates, and algae found within the diverse habitats, and by reviewing where this MPA fits within the overall MPA network. Recommendations are made for future work. Revealing the richness of the Scripps MPA habitats and the marine life that lies beneath the surface supports the importance of this MPA despite its small size, and champions the role it plays within the larger California, US and global MPA frameworks.