Across the globe, human activity's impact on marine ecosystems has been increasingly harmful. Living in the Bay Area means that this impact is more direct, as it is easier for the effects of human civilization to reach marine wildlife. Seabirds are essential indicators of marine ecosystem health; since they typically occupy high trophic levels, such as secondary or tertiary consumers, their varied diet reflects the health of the entire food web. Over the last few decades, the health of marine ecosystems has been declining drastically (by about 69.7% from 1950 to 2010). Due to this decline in health, there have been efforts worldwide to reduce human impact; a large part of this is the implementation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The effectiveness of these areas has long been disputed; this study aims to determine whether MPAs help preserve biodiversity in the Bay Area and, if so, to what extent.