In the United States, more than 10 percent of our land has been
reserved as protected parks, wildlife refuges and wilderness
areas, but the same level of care has yet to be given to our
ocean, where less than 1 percent is protected. Underwater parks,
called marine protected areas, strongly improve our ocean’s
health. Take fish, for example: Studies show that these areas
allow fish to grow larger, stay healthier and reach greater
abundance and diversity. Fish thrive in these protected areas,
then move out into other parts of the ocean and replenish weaker
populations. This not only makes a difference for the fish, but
for the people and wildlife that depend on healthy fish for
their survival. Studies also show that underwater parks are more
resilient in the face of threats and hold up even in the face of
disaster. For more than two decades, Ocean Conservancy has been
working to create these refuges where the ocean’s most
extraordinary creatures can recover and thrive: In California,
Ocean Conservancy worked st