Mark your calendars... we'll be hosting an MLPA mixer on Monday, January 12th from 5 to 7pm at Sea Rocket. Light appetizers will be served at no charge and our full menu and beer and wine bar will be open as usual.

You may have heard of the Marine Life Projection Act or MLPA which was enacted in 1999 to create marine protected areas. It's just being implemented in Southern California in the near future. At Sea Rocket, we get much of our food from the ocean here in San Diego, so I've been learning about the MLPA little by little over the past year and thought it would be interesting to give regular people like you and me a chance to get to know the people who are involved in the MLPA.

Below is a list of stakeholders and we expect many of them to be there. They are interesting folks who know a lot about the ocean. Come mingle and learn from them, or have a couple of beers and give them a piece of your mind if you feel like it! No RSVP necessary. If you feel like doing some homework, go to the MLPA website.

Sarah Abramson, Coastal Resources Director, Heal the Bay
John F. Ballotti, Senior Director, Global Procurement, Mattel, Inc.
Benjamin Beede, General Manager and Limited Partner, The Cultured Abalone
Philip Beguhl, commercial fishing representative, Santa Barbara County Fish and Game Commission
Steve Benevides, Co-founder, Kelp Forest Coalition
Bob Bertelli, President, California Sea Urchin Commission
Roberta R. Cordero, Co-Founder and President, Chumash Maritime Association
Leslie Daigle, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Newport Beach and Regional Council Member, Southern California Association of Governments
W. Scott Dunn, independent kayak guide and instructor
Dr. Jonna Engel, Staff Ecologist, California Coastal Commission
Ciro Ferrigno, Member of the Board, California Wetfish Producer's Association
Russell E. Galipeau, Superintendent, Channel Islands National Park
Michael Gauger, Seaforth Sportfishing, Inc.
Phyllis Grifman, Associate Director, University of Southern California Sea Grant Program
Mervin "Louie" Guassac, Executive Director, Kumeyaay Diegueno Land Conservancy
Kate Hanley, Director of Operations and Marine Conservation, San Diego Coastkeeper
Greg Helms, Southern California Program Manager, The Ocean Conservancy
Mike Huber, Regional Environmental Coordinator Program Manager, U.S. Department of Defense Region IX
Ken Kearsley, former Mayor, City of Malibu
Mick Kronman, Harbor Operations Manager, City of Santa Barbara
Paul Lebowitz, Director, Kayak Fishing Association of California
Dr. Terry Maas, Director, Underwater Society of America and Founding Member, Sea Watch
Gerry D. Richter, Vice President, Point Conception Groundfishermen’s Association
Dr. Vinod Sasidharan, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator, Recreation and Tourism Management Program, San Diego State University
Brent Scheiwe, Director, SEA Lab
Dr. Anne Spacie, Science Director and Member of the Board, Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation and Professor Emerita, Purdue University
Bruce Steele, Captain, F/V Halcyon
Norris Tapp, Captain, F/V Freelance
Wendy Tochihara, National Sales Manager, Izorline International
David Weeshoff, Member of the Board, International Bird Rescue Research Center
California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative

South Coast Regional Stakeholder Group Alternates
Calla Allison, Marine Protection Officer, City of Laguna Beach (alternate for Ken Kearsley)
Julie Bursek, Education Coordinator, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (alternate for Brent Scheiwe)
Jim Dahl, Council Member, City of San Clemente (alternate for Leslie Daigle)
Dr. John M. "Jack" Engle, Associate Research Biologist, Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara (alternate for Phyllis Grifman)
Roy "Buck" Everingham, Owner, Everingham Brothers Bait Company (alternate for Ciro Ferringo)
Jenn Feinberg, Consultant, Natural Resources Defense Council (alternate for Greg Helms)
Ray Fields, President, The Abalone Farm, Inc. (alternate for Benjamin Beede)
Robert C. Fletcher, President, Sportfishing Association of California (alternate for Mike Gauger)
Mary Jane Forster-Foley, President, MJF Consulting Inc. (alternate for David Weeshoff)
Tommy Gomes, Owner, Uni Goop Bait (alternate for Bruce Steele)
Joel Greenberg, Southern California Chapter Chairman, Recreational Fishing Alliance (alternate for John Balloti)
Marcela Gutiérrez, Wildlife Conservation Program Manager, WiLDCOAST (alternate for Sarah Abramson)
Ray Hiemstra, Associate Director, Orange County Coastkeeper (alternate for Kate Hanley)
Michael J. Kennedy, Deputy Director, Kayak Fishing Association of California (alternate for Paul Lebowitz)
Eric Kett, Owner, Sea Zen Marine Consulting (alternate for Terry Maas)
Jeff Maassen, Vice President, Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara, Inc. (alternate for Bob Bertelli)
Jenny Marshall, Consultant, U.S. Navy (alternate for Mike Huber)
Carl Mayhugh, President, Pacific Oceanworks, Inc. (alternate for Steve Benevides)
Mike McCorkle, President, Southern California Trawlers Association (alternate for Gerry Richter)
Dr. Michael McCoy, Member, Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Authority (alternate for Dr. Vinod Sasidharan)
Merit McCrea, Captain, Condor Cruises and Research Technician, Marine Science Institute (alternate for Norris Tapp)
Garth Murphy, Founder, Surf Research (alternate for W. Scott Dunn)
Bob Osborn, Member, United Anglers of Southern California (alternate for Wendy Tochihara)
Jack Peveler, President, California Association of Port Captains and Harbormasters (alternate for Mick Kronman)
Dr. Benjamin Pister, Marine Ecologist, Cabrillo National Monument (alternate for Russell E. Galipeau)
Lia Protopapadakis, Marine Policy Specialist, Santa Monica Bay Restoration Foundation (alternate for Dr. Anne Spacie)
Cassidy Teufel, Coastal Program Analyst, California Coastal Commission (alternate for Jonna Engel)