Teeth needed to protect tide pools

Jeanne Meyers

I am writing this letter to urge our leaders and resident to help

protect our beautiful marine life sanctuary here in Laguna Beach by

adding to the staff of the lifeguards a marine enforcement/education

officer.

With the incredible growth of Orange County over the last 10 years

Laguna’s beaches have been impacted by the millions of visitors who

have discovered this seaside treasure.

As a community, we have a stewardship responsibility to protect

this treasure. The city management has a responsibility to protect

this treasure.

This May marks the anniversary of the tide pool docents project.

To date more than 70 volunteers have been trained and work at various

tide pool locations during low tide to try to educate the public on

this living ecosystem and to help to protect the marine life in our

sanctuaries. But they cannot do this job alone. They need the support

of our community and city officials. They need the support of a full

time marine enforcement/education officer who can help enforce marine

protection codes as well as assist with all of the other important

life saving efforts of our hard-working, small, but devoted team of

lifeguards.

We all know what an incredibly challenging job our lifeguards face

each year with the ever-growing number of visitors who have made

Laguna Beach a vacation getaway destination year-round.

The marine safety department needs to have on their staff a full

time marine enforcement/education officer to enforce rules that

protect our fragile coastal resources. This lifeguard should be given

the same status that the lifeguards in Huntington Beach have been

given, that of peace officer, with full ranger status.

Those who love and cherish the tide pools realize that this

fragile ecosystem is in serious danger of being trampled and loved to

death. Ocean Laguna is working to bring awareness to this problem and

seeks your support for the tide pool docents program as well.

Together we can make a difference and protect the treasure that is

the tide pools of Laguna Beach.

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Jeanne Meyers is a Laguna Beach resident.