Charting a Course
The MPA network in California ismoving forward, but its path is thorny. Unlike some Pacific island villages, coastal communities here do not readily unite around a common interest in marine life. Some citizens hold out for "the right to fish," others object to what they see as high-handed action from the state capital, or complain about scientists who they claim ignore local knowledge of abundant abalone and rockfish.

The first set of 29 MPAs was established along the Central Coast in 2007, providing varied degrees of protection to 204 square miles, 18 percent of state waters between San Mateo and Santa Barbara counties. Planning for MPAs in other regions is under way.

No matter how effective any type of reserve turns out to be, MPAs alone will not end the crises building in the ocean. At the Ocean Solutions Center at Stanford and elsewhere there is talk of the need for ocean "spatial planning," a decision-making process based on zoning precepts that could help alleviate growing conflicts over uses and conservation needs. Amid talk about "ocean management," however, one thing is clear: There’s no way we can manage the ocean--we can only manage ourselves.

Eileen Ecklund and Hal Hughes contributed to this article.