MARINA, CA – The City of Marina is proud to announce it has officially earned a Blue Zones Community® designation, one of six cities and communities within Monterey County to do so. Monterey County became the first countywide Blue Zones designation in the state of California in August 2025.
Blue Zones Project® is an evidence-based initiative that helps communities make sustainable, healthy changes to the places where people live, work, learn and play. Based on research by leading longevity experts, the project helps communities adopt lifestyle and policy changes modeled after the world’s “Blue Zones,” regions where people live longer, healthier lives.
The official certification was celebrated at the Marina City Council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 16, where Blue Zones Project Monterey County officials formally presented the City with the designation.
“We are incredibly proud of this accomplishment and what it represents for Marina,” said Mayor Bruce Carlos Delgado. “This milestone reflects years of partnership and dedication from our community. Together, we embraced a vision for a healthier, happier future, and now that vision is becoming reality. By working collectively, we are building a community where well-being is the norm and every resident has the opportunity to thrive.”
Marina has worked with Blue Zones Project Monterey County since 2019, when it was brought into the community by Salinas Valley Health, Taylor Farms and Montage Health. Through the project, the city and community have implemented policies and programs that encourage residents to live naturally active, socially connected, well-nourished and purposeful lives.
Marina earned the designation through a variety of initiatives, including restaurants serving smaller plates and adding plant-based dishes, grocery stores offering healthier check-out lanes, workplaces creating quiet spaces and employee wellness teams, schools launching student ambassador programs and safe walking routes and residents joining walking clubs, cooking demonstrations, purpose workshops, and volunteering as Blue Zones Ambassadors.
These collective actions helped Marina achieve this milestone and set a model for other cities across California.
“The City of Marina is grateful for this recognition and proud of our community’s work to integrate health and well-being into every aspect of daily life,” Mayor Delgado added. “We will continue to invest in policies, programs, and partnerships that ensure Marina remains a vibrant, healthy place for generations to come.”