Marine Protected Area Outreach and Education Small Grants Program, Round 4
Round 4 of the MPA Small Grants Program wrapped up in Spring 2026, and the incredible resources and programming created through the program live on!
Demand for the program was unprecedented: Coastal Quest saw a 44% increase in applications as compared with Round 3. Round 4 was privately funded, and grants supported the creation of new resources and events, updates to materials for accessibility, and the printing and distribution of resources to improve MPA compliance statewide. Priority audiences for Round 4 were communities in need of environmental justice, disadvantaged communities, Tribes, and tribal organizations.
Coastal Quest was honored to award $120,695 to four organizations.
List of Grantees and Products
Center for Environmental Economic Development (CEED) - Amplifying Impact of the Ancestral Waters Coloring and Activity Books
Reprinted and distributed 17,600 copies of the Ancestral Waters Coloring and Activity Books—a culturally relevant, youth-focused outreach tool developed during a previous grant cycle. They promote stewardship and compliance with California’s MPAs by introducing young learners and their families to ocean conservation, MPA rules, and the Indigenous cultural connections to coastal resources. The original printing was met with overwhelming demand. Updated with ADA accessibility, this round prioritized regions with demonstrated need and ongoing requests.
Color the Water - Continuing Access to Point Dume
Expanded access to and knowledge of MPAs to Black, Indigenous, and other Surfers of Color through site visits, surf sessions, and educational trainings at Point Dume. To improve access to MPAs for the deaf and hard of hearing community, Color the Water provided on-site American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and added ASL picture in picture captioning to its existing MPA short film.
Elkhorn Slough Foundation - Fish for the Future at Elkhorn Slough
Elkhorn Slough Foundation created Fish for the Future / ¡Si Se Pesca!, a free fishing clinic program developed by in response to community feedback requesting greater access to fishing education and opportunities within the MPA. This pilot initiative promoted subsistence fishing and MPA stewardship, expanded outreach and educational access, reduced barriers to participation, fostered a deeper sense of community and place, and supported food sovereignty and security. Program design—and insights and reflections from the event—will inform future efforts to develop culturally relevant fishing clinics in and around MPAs, particularly for under-resourced coastal communities.
WILDCOAST - Bilingual Tidepool Pocket Guides
Developed and printed 10,000 Bilingual Tidepool Pocket Guides (English/Spanish). The guides are water and tear-resistant and were designed to enhance public understanding and appreciation of California’s tidepool ecosystems and MPAs. WILDCOAST distributed over 8,700 guides to partners statewide and is distributing the remaining copies through its Tidepool Ambassador program and other outreach efforts.