The Laguna Bluebelt Coalition brings together organizations and individuals with a common goal of protecting and restoring marine life, conserving biological diversity, and maintaining healthy, sustainable marine habitats.
Protect the Last Mile
NewThe Last MileThousand Steps lost nearly all its kelp and never recovered. We can change that. See the evidence for protecting South Laguna’s last unprotected reefs.Read the evidence →
Reef Check ReportReef Check divers found stable, denser kelp inside Laguna’s reserve than at the unprotected reefs of Thousand Steps and Three Arch Bay.Read the conclusions →
▶Watch Video of Laguna MPAs & Reef Check SurveyA two-minute look at Laguna’s reefs, inside and outside protection.Watch the video →
Sign the PetitionAdd your name to extend protection to Laguna’s southern border.Sign now →
Watch
Learn & Explore
NewWhat Is an MPA?How Laguna’s Marine Protected Areas work, why they mean more fish next door, and how families can explore them.Explore our MPAs →
Coloring Book & PuzzlesPrint, color and learn what lives just off our coast.Download free →
15th Photo Contest WinnersThe year’s most inspiring images of Laguna’s Marine Protected Areas.See the winners →Photo: Alex Cowdell, 7th Annual Photo Contest winner
What We’re Working On at Aliso Beach
Testing Aliso Creek for GlyphosateWorking with the Hobbs Lab at UC Irvine, we are testing Aliso Creek waters for glyphosate, the pesticide found in Roundup. What flows down the creek ends up in our Marine Protected Areas.
Berm BuddiesFor five years, Berm Buddies has been teaching visitors at Aliso Beach about its ecosystem and what happens when the berm is dug out and the creek pours into the ocean.Look for our booth at Aliso Beach.
What’s New
Sept 2026
OC Coastkeeper honors the Bluebelt at Toast the CoastCo-founders Jinger Wallace and Mike Beanan accepted the recognition on behalf of everyone who has worked to protect sea life in Laguna Beach’s Marine Protected Areas.Stu News Laguna →Laguna Beach Independent →
2026
15th Annual Photo Contest winnersOur photographers keep showing what protection looks like, from harbor seals to kelp forests.See the winners →
Aug 2025
Our film “The Deep Blue Sea” premieres to a sold-out houseThe Laguna Bluebelt’s short film celebrating our deep connection with the ocean filled the Rivian Theater in downtown Laguna.See photos from the premiere →
Community Support & Our Story
The reserves are ours to restore or lose.
The MLPA planning effort sparked an outpouring of public support from elected officials, local businesses, community organizations and scientists. That support built Laguna’s Marine Protected Areas, and it is just as important today as we work to protect the last unprotected reefs.
Community support →The MLPA process →From our archive: our 2011 video →- 2009Laguna Bluebelt Coalition founded
- 2010First Laguna KelpFest
- Jan. 1, 2012Laguna’s Marine Protected Areas take effect
- 2012First Annual Bluebelt Photo Contest
- TodayContinuing to work to protect the Last Mile at Thousand Steps and Three Arch Bay
Get Involved
Get our newsletterNews, events and ways to help, a few times a year.Sign up →Donate or joinEvery member and every dollar helps protect Laguna’s ocean.Support us →VolunteerHelp at KelpFest, the Photo Contest or Berm Buddies.Lend a hand →Come to a meetingMeet the people behind the Bluebelt.See meetings →
From the Shoreline
To See a World in a Grain of SandWhat a single handful of Laguna beach can tell us.Read more →
At the Water’s EdgeObservations from a calm day, where swirls of San Onofre Breccia glow like butter.Read more →
Bountiful, Beautiful BLOY!Black oystercatchers, from Dana Point to Crystal Cove, wherever the mussel beds are healthy.Read more →
To See a World in a Grain of Sand
"To see a world in a grain of sand, And a heaven in a wild flower. To hold infinity in the palm of your hand, And eternity in an hour." Read More »
Premiere of Film “Deep Blue Sea” Sold Out and a Splash at Rivian!
The Laguna Bluebelt Coalition’s short film The Deep Blue Sea premiered to a full house at the Rivian Theater in downtown Laguna on August 25. The film celebrates our deep connection with the ocean, our loved ones, and ourselves. More screenings are on the horizon! Already a Finalist in three Film Festivals including Dana Point film festival on October 11!A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who joined us for this special night and helped make the premiere unforgettable! The Rivian Theater was packed to the brim with ocean enthusiasts ... standing room only for the premiere! The film was a true labor of love. A director, videographer, scriptwriter, editor, and other talented filmmakers from Hollywood donated much of their time and energy to bring it to life. A local underwater videographer showed Laguna's underwater beauty, while Laguna’s Marine Safety team helped to keep things running smoothly behind the scenes.
Shoreline Strolls – Edges and Ledges of Laguna
Here we are scrambling over the Aliso Creek Ledges to Camel Beach. "Girls just wanna have fun!" Read More »
At The Water’s Edge
Observations and thoughts on a flat, calmy day at the water's edge in August: Sedimentary rock of taffy San Onofre Breccia swirls is a glorious sandstone with a color as vibrant as butter that abuts our beaches. Read More »
BOUNTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL BLOY!
Over the years we have seen Black Oyster Catchers (BLOY) from Dana Point in the south to Crystal Cove in the north, wherever there are healthy mussel beds and rocky ledges. Read More »
Wrack, Wrack, Glorious Wrack.
Laguna Beach Walkers Walk the Wrack. Definition: Perhaps from Middle Dutch, wrak,wreckage; the term corresponds to Old English wraec Wrack. Hence the term "Wrack and Ruin" Read More »
Winter Low Tides
What is hidden under the water during the hot summer sun is uncovered in the cooler winter months. Read More »
Leopard Sharks,
Bat Rays and Me
If you're (fool) hardy enough to get in the water to snorkel or scuba in the late fall/early winter Read More » 
Tidepool Tales and Kelp
You don't have to get into the water to notice the tremendous increase in the kelp forest off Laguna over the last year. A number of groups including thousands of individuals Read More »Shoreline Strolls
After a night of light rain the wind has blown out the storm at Crystal Cove and Catalina shines bright with her sandy bluffs, white and clean. Read More »
Friend’s Corner
We are honored that Sylvia Earle would enthusiastically wear a "Reserve Laguna" button to indicate her support for our efforts.
She has been called "Her Deepness" by the New Yorker and the New York Times, "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress, and the first "Hero for the Planet," is an oceanographer, explorer, author...Learn More
© 2011–2026 Laguna Bluebelt Coalition. All rights reserved.
