In the creation stories of the Tolowa Dee-ni’, their people emerged from the ocean. For coastal Tribes in Northern California, the ocean has provided food, ceremony, and identity since time immemorial. Today, that ocean is under pressure from algae blooms, kelp forest die-offs, warming waters, and the loss of foods like butter clams and surf smelt that have always been part of the coast. 

When California passed the Marine Life Protection Act in 2009 without recognizing Tribal rights, coastal Tribes raised their voices. When the state established Marine Protected Areas without enforcement, Tribes took stewardship into their own hands. Today, the Yurok Tolowa Dee-ni’ Indigenous Marine Stewardship Area covers nearly 700 square miles of ocean and coastal waters, the first of its kind in the nation. 

This story explores how a network of California coastal Tribes is monitoring sea stars, surf smelt, mussels, and seaweed; testing for biotoxins to keep traditional foods safe; and showing what conservation looks like when the people who have always cared for the coast lead the work.