One of the highlights of the Ocean Awareness Challenge Weekend—Sept. 9-11, 2016—will be participating in the guided snorkeling eco-tour of Santa Catalina Island’s Emerald Bay; a marine protected area (MPA) and one of the top 10 snorkeling spots in the world.
Annie MacAulay, president & CEO of Mountain and Sea Educational Adventures, along with her team, will conduct the tour.
One of the highlights of the Ocean Awareness Challenge Weekend—Sept. 9-11, 2016—will be participating in the guided snorkeling eco-tour of Santa Catalina Island’s Emerald Bay; a marine protected area (MPA) and one of the top 10 snorkeling spots in the world.
Annie MacAulay, president & CEO of Mountain and Sea Educational Adventures, along with her team, will conduct the tour.
Participants will experience first-hand the importance of having MPA’s and the value that they bring to our ecosystems. The importance of MPA’s lies in their benefit to the overall function of the ocean.
They protect more than a particular species; they protect the whole ecosystem within that area. If one animal is taken out of an ecosystem, it has the potential to adversely alter the entire ecosystem.
Since 1988, when MPA’s first came into existence, researchers, such as MacAulay and her team, are finding bigger fish, more fish, and more diversity in species. Not only in the marine protected areas, but outside of those areas.
How? Most of the Island fish have been propagating from the fish populations within the MPAs.
MacAulay maintains a background in marine biology, yet prefers to call herself a “Marine Science Educator,” because she believes that “education is the key to saving our ocean.”
Due to the licensing process, most commercial and recreational anglers are aware of each of the MPAs, where they exist and the limitations within them.
This eco-tour during the Ocean Awareness Challenge is designed to build awareness beyond the angler community … to sailors, paddlers, surfers, all individuals who care about our ocean. The goal of the Ocean Awareness Challenge event is to motivate individuals to take on a personal challenge to maintain and protect these precious ecosystems and develop awareness with others.
Snorkeling is only one of the eco-activities that will be available during the Ocean Awareness Challenge Weekend; there will also be a guided hike, kayaking and marine touch tank activities. Additionally, we will hear from three marine experts: Dr. Geoff Shester, California Campaign Director, Oceana; Dr. Wendy Marshall, Director of Education, ExplorOcean and Dave Rudie, Founder, Catalina Offshore Products. While the weekend is about marine preservation and education, there will also be a lot of fun! There will be an exclusive showing of the documentary “Humpback Whales” by MacGillivray Freeman Films; live music and dancing, two happy hours provided by Black Magic Rum, five provided meals and so much more. Visit www.wsaoc.org/oac or www.facebook.com/OceanAwarenessChallenge to learn more.
The Ocean Awareness Challenge is an event conceived and created by members of the Women’s Sailing Association—Orange County, with a twofold goal of providing marine education to adults and children and providing funding to send underserved youth from Southern California to attend Mountain & Sea Educational Adventures camp(s), which is where the OAC event will be held.
