The Coalition of Organizations for Ocean Life (COOL) is a gathering of marine conservation organizations and non-consumptive ocean enthusiasts concerned with the health of California's oceans. The Mission of the Coalition of Organizations for Ocean Life is to foster the creation of a network of marine reserves that will help restore, enhance and protect the diversity and abundance of California's marine life and underwater habitats, and to educate the public on the value of marine reserves and healthy oceans.
COOL was formed in August of 2001, to help create an effective process and a successful implementation of California's Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA). COOL’s strength stems from the united resources and expertise of all of our members. COOL's larger member groups, with statewide, national, or international scope, gain hard-to-get detailed local knowledge by working with smaller groups and informed citizens focused on the local area. COOL's smaller members gain visibility and influence from working with large groups that have wide name-recognition and established reputations with government and regulatory agencies.
COOL reaches all of its decisions by consensus. When no consensus on a particular issue exists among COOL's members, COOL takes no position on that issue. Because COOL's members are united by a common desire to "foster the creation of marine reserves," it has been relatively easy to enumerate the coalition's shared principles.
As of this writing (February, 2005) COOL member organizations are (in alphabetical order): Defenders of Wildlife, The Marine Mammal Center, The Natural Resources Defense Council, The Ocean Conservancy, Save Our Shores, The Surfrider Foundation, and World Wildlife Fund. In addition, COOL's at-large members include divers, kayakers, and underwater photographers. Individual members include Pat Lovejoy, Michelle Newman, Paul Pearah, and Marc Shargel. While many of the member organizations are national or international in scope, COOL's primary focus is the Central California Coast; most meetings have been held in Santa Cruz.
On December 14, 2004 COOL adopted the following consensus statement on Marine Protected Areas:
"COOL also supports the creation of a broader range of marine protected areas, including marine parks which would allow some forms of recreational fishing, and marine conservation areas which allow for specified commercial and recreational fishing. Any such areas should complement an effective network of marine reserves."
On January 12, 2005 COOL adopted the following consensus Statement on Access to Marine Reserves and Proposition 132:
"As environmentalists and non-consumptive ocean enthusiasts, many members of COOL supported Proposition 132 in 1990. Unfortunately, after its passage the Attorney General's office unilaterally determined that the reserves created under Prop. 132 would be closed to public access. This was not the intent of the groups who supported Prop 132; COOL supports a fully transparent and open public process, now and in the future, to determine where marine reserves and other MPAs should be, and what management measures they should have. COOL believes non-consumptive activities should be allowed within marine reserves (and other MPAs) consistent with the goals and management plans of those protected areas, so that the public may enjoy and observe marine life in its natural habitat."
An essential element of Cool's mission "to educate the public on the value of marine reserves and healthy oceans," entails public outreach. Cool members seek to inform their constituents of the value of marine reserves, and seek to educate the public through presentations such as public speaking, displays at marine events, and written articles to constituencies. COOL believes that political involvement by an informed public is essential to the successful implementation of marine reserves.
Early in 2003 COOL began a petition drive, to demonstrate the broad support that Marine Reserves have among Central Coast residents and visitors. To date (February, 2005) just under 2,000 people have put their names on these petitions. Fourteen area businesses are sponsoring our petitions, and we’ve received in-kind contributions to our efforts from four others. Five area clubs (four dive clubs and one civic group) have endorsed a statement supporting Marine Reserves. (The petition, and group endorsement form, can be downloaded from our website.)
Participation in COOL is open to individuals and organizations willing to contribute to the coalition's goals; all new members must be approved by COOL's usual consensus process. COOL encourages open discussion of all issues related to the creation of marine reserves and other marine protected areas. COOL is committed to the successful implementation of the MLPA via direct involvement in the site selection process, through public outreach, and through other means that may arise.