Mediterranean Coast Network

The parks of the Mediterranean Coast Network include some of the most significant examples of terrestrial Mediterranean-type ecosystems and coastal marine environments anywhere in the world. These parks protect and manage an increasingly rare example of a Mediterranean Biome. At the same time, the parks are embedded in the highly developed and rapidly expanding southern California metropolitan area. Consequently, each park experiences numerous ecological threats, including introduction of non-native invasive species, declining fresh and marine water quality, fragmentation of habitat, and altered fire regimes. Understanding the extent to which park resources are impacted by these threats requires information on the status and trends of the resources and the identification of the mechanisms of resource change. The Mediterranean Coast Network engages in a variety of scientific research activities, from park-based research to national-level inventory and monitoring, to acquire the information needed to better protect and manage park resources.