The Golden Gate Biosphere Network (GGBN or the Network) is a voluntary coalition of federal, state, and local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, universities, and private partners within the Golden Gate Biosphere region (along the western portion of the San Francisco Bay Area). The Network works towards protecting the biosphere region's biodiversity and conserving its natural resources to maintain the quality of life for people within the region. The Network has been part of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme since 1988 and is part of the US Biosphere Network and EuroMAB. It is recognized by UNESCO due to the significant biodiversity of the region, as well as the Network's efforts to demonstrate and promote a balanced relationship between humans and the biosphere.
The Network periodically submits reports to UNESCO on current land-management issues related to the region's biodiversity and its connection to people. Recent efforts have focused on outreach to potential collaborators and promoting research on biodiversity and climate change adaptation.
About the Golden Gate Biosphere Network
The Golden Gate Biosphere Network aims to collaboratively steward interaction between humans and the environment. Originally recognized by UNESCO in 1988 for its significant ecological and cultural diversity, a 2017 periodic review brought renewed interest to the Golden Gate Biosphere Network and also expanded the boundaries of the GGB region by more than 26,000 square miles. In the years since, the Network has focused on expanding its collaborative partnerships in order to better connect the agencies, organizations, and non-profits of the region in an effort to more efficiently steward the natural resources of the region. As of 2021, the Network is made up of 20 partners representing multiple jurisdictions and sectors of the region:
Audubon Canyon Ranch
UC Davis, Bodega Marine Reserve
Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve
Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary
Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Fort Point National Historic Site
Muir Woods National Monument
Point Reyes National Seashore
Marin Municipal Water District
Mount Tamalpais State Park
Samuel P. Taylor State Park
Tomales Bay State Park
Pepperwood Preserve
Presidio Trust
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Peninsula Watershed
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
Point Blue Conservation
National Park Service Regional Office (Interior Regions 8, 9, 10, 12)
Biosphere Regions
As recognized by the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme, there are currently 738 biosphere regions in 134 countries around the world. Regions are recognized for containing a mosaic of ecological systems representative of major biogeographic regions, significant biodiversity, and their ability to explore and demonstrate approaches to sustainable development at the regional scale.
Biosphere regions serve three functions: 1) to foster relationships between humans and nature that allow for sustainable development, 2) to contribute to the conservation of landscapes, ecosystems, and species of flora and fauna, and 3) to provide support for research, monitoring, and education within the region.
Golden Gate Biosphere Region Geography
The Golden Gate Biosphere region consists of of which 94% is marine habitat. This marine area covers while terrestrial land covers .
It extends through the North-Central California coastal region from the Bodega Marine Reserve in the north to Jasper Ridge in the south and includes the Farallon Islands, Angel Island, and Alcatraz within the San Francisco Bay. The biosphere region is situated on both sides of the San Andreas Fault. Each side has a completely different type of bedrock, and the western side of the rift is moving northward.
Core areas, otherwise known as protected area, are legally constituted core areas devoted to long-term protection. The core areas of the Golden Gate Biosphere region are of sufficient size to serve the three functions required of biosphere regions outlined above. Marine protected areas within the biosphere include the following conservation units:
Gualala (8,260 ha) Stewart's Point (6,227 ha) Jenner (11,955 ha) Bodega Head (2,431 ha) Tomales Point (6,393 ha) Cordell Bank Reef (10,374 ha) Point Reyes and Drakes Estero (12,932 ha) Duxbury Reef and Bolinas Lagoon (10,746 ha) North and South Farallon Islands (12,764 ha)
Terrestrial protected areas include the following conservation units: