Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Skip to content
  • Feedback
    • This is a Non-Federal dataset covered by different Terms of Use than Data.gov.

    Oceanographic Context for Characterization and Future Evaluation, California North Coast MPA Baseline Study, 2014 to 2016

    Metadata Updated: July 24, 2025

    Marine ecosystems along the North Coast of California exist in a highly energetic and variable oceanographic environment that strongly influences the dynamics and structure of the diverse marine populations that call this region home (Barth and Checkley 2009). Understanding the effect of marine protected areas (MPAs) implemented in this region therefore requires information on how oceanographic conditions vary over space and time. Baseline observations collected before or soon after implementation of MPAs depend in part on the oceanographic history of the region, and ongoing ocean observations can inform analysis of ecological and economic responses to MPAs over time (White et al. 2010). This report synthesizes a diverse suite of observations to provide this essential oceanographic context for baseline ecosystem studies (BES) in the North Coast Study Region (NCSR) and to establish a foundation for integrative studies, ongoing monitoring, and adaptive management of marine resources in the region. The primary intent of this work is to inform analysis of data collected during the BES and to the extent possible, to inform the design of future monitoring programs.

    Our foremost purpose is to provide historical perspective on conditions occurring during the 2014‐2016 Baseline Study Period (BSP). A great deal of this effort has been directed towards developing information specific to the NCSR that captures region‐specific responses to the unprecedented, persistent 2014‐2016 North Pacific marine heatwave (NPMHW) (Di Lorenzo and Mantua 2016) and associated ecosystem responses (including an equally unprecedented, massive, and persistent harmful algal bloom during 2015) (Leising et al. 2015, McClatchie et al. 2016).

    Access & Use Information

    Public: This dataset is intended for public access and use. Non-Federal: This dataset is covered by different Terms of Use than Data.gov. License: See this page for license information.

    Downloads & Resources

    Dates

    Metadata Created Date September 8, 2021
    Metadata Updated Date July 24, 2025

    Metadata Source

    Harvested from State of California

    Other Data Resources

    Additional Metadata

    Resource Type Dataset
    Metadata Created Date September 8, 2021
    Metadata Updated Date July 24, 2025
    Publisher California Ocean Protection Council
    Maintainer
    Identifier b2b88bce-7fba-4536-97a9-23f498a00ddd
    Data First Published 2018-01-29T19:09:51.941516
    Data Last Modified 2018-05-15T18:29:19.747587
    Category Natural Resources, Water
    Public Access Level public
    Metadata Context https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.jsonld
    Schema Version https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
    Catalog Describedby https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.json
    Harvest Object Id 536a11d6-816a-419b-b78a-f231302ff51d
    Harvest Source Id 3ba8a0c1-5dc2-4897-940f-81922d3cf8bc
    Harvest Source Title State of California
    License http://www.opendefinition.org/licenses/cc-by
    Source Datajson Identifier True
    Source Hash 0eadc02922349d260f0b155f916932a4c8769b6902354e78bd2a8450d4701a5d
    Source Schema Version 1.1

    Didn't find what you're looking for? Suggest a dataset here.