CAMARILLO — If we want to protect ecosystems, try protecting the surf breaks.
That’s the gist of a 2021 research study, “Conservation Opportunities Arise from the Co-Occurrence of Surfing and Key Biodiversity Areas” led by CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Associate Professor of Environmental Science & Resource Management (ESRM), Dan Reineman.
“There’s a conservation opportunity ‘two-for’ here,” Reineman said. “We found that many of the world’s surf breaks are located in the same places as critical, but unprotected, ecosystems. Surfing – for recreation and tourism – provides an additional incentive to protect both.”