State and federally managed ocean reserves
Garibaldi , the state fish of California, photographed near Catalina Island 's Casino Point State Marine Conservation Area
There are both state and federal marine protected areas off the coast of California.
Federal marine protected areas [ edit ]
State marine protected areas [ edit ]
Unless otherwise stated the source is the California Department of Fish and Wildlife .[ 4] The list is ordered north to south with some imprecision around the San Francisco Bay and Channel Islands locations.
Pyramid Point State Marine Conservation Area , Del Norte County
Point St. George Reef Offshore State Marine Conservation Area , Del Norte County
Southwest Seal Rock Special Closure , Del Norte County
Castle Rock Special Closure , Del Norte County
False Klamath Rock Special Closure , Del Norte County
Reading Rock State Marine Conservation Area , Humboldt County
Reading Rock State Marine Reserve , Humboldt County
Samoa State Marine Conservation Area , Humboldt County
South Humboldt Bay State Marine Recreational Management Area , Humboldt County
Sugarloaf Island Special Closure , Humboldt County
South Cape Mendocino State Marine Reserve , Humboldt County
Steamboat Rock Special Closure , Humboldt County
Mattole Canyon State Marine Reserve , Humboldt County
Sea Lion Gulch State Marine Reserve , Humboldt County
Big Flat State Marine Conservation Area , Humboldt County
Double Cone Rock State Marine Conservation Area , Mendocino County
Rockport Rocks Special Closure , Mendocino County
Vizcaino Rock Special Closure , Mendocino County
Ten Mile State Marine Reserve , Mendocino County
Ten Mile Beach State Marine Conservation Area , Mendocino County
Ten Mile Estuary State Marine Conservation Area , Mendocino County
MacKerricher State Marine Conservation Area , Mendocino County
Point Cabrillo State Marine Reserve , Mendocino County
Russian Gulch State Marine Conservation Area , Mendocino County
Big River Estuary State Marine Conservation Area , Mendocino County
Van Damme State Marine Conservation Area , Mendocino County
Navarro River Estuary State Marine Conservation Area , Mendocino County
Point Arena State Marine Reserve , Mendocino County
Point Arena State Marine Conservation Area , Mendocino County
Sea Lion Cove State Marine Conservation Area , Mendocino County
Saunders Reef State Marine Conservation Area , Mendocino County
Del Mar Landing State Marine Reserve , Sonoma County
Stewarts Point State Marine Conservation Area , Sonoma County
Stewarts Point State Marine Reserve , Sonoma County
Salt Point State Marine Conservation Area , Sonoma County
Gerstle Cove State Marine Reserve , Sonoma County
Russian River State Marine Recreational Management Area , Sonoma County
Russian River State Marine Conservation Area , Sonoma County
Bodega Head State Marine Reserve , Sonoma County
Estero Americano State Marine Recreational Management Area , Sonoma County
Corte Madera Marsh State Marine Park , Marin County
Marin Islands State Marine Park , Marin County
Estero de San Antonio State Marine Recreational Management Area , Marin County
Point Reyes State Marine Reserve , Marin County
Point Reyes State Marine Conservation Area , Marin County
Point Reyes Headlands Special Closure , Marin County
Estero de Limantour State Marine Reserve , Marin County
Drakes Estero State Marine Conservation Area , Marin County
Point Resistance Rock Special Closure , Marin County
Double Point/Stormy Stack Special Closure , Marin County
Duxbury Reef State Marine Conservation Area , Marin County
Fagan Marsh State Marine Park , Napa County
Peytonia Slough State Marine Park , Solano County
Albany Mudflats State Marine Park , Alameda County
Robert W. Crown State Marine Conservation Area , Alameda County
North Farallon Island State Marine Reserve , San Francisco County
North Farallon Islands Special Closure , San Francisco County
Southeast Farallon Island State Marine Reserve , San Francisco County
Southeast Farallon Island State Marine Conservation Area , San Francisco County
Southeast Farallon Island Special Closure , San Francisco County
Egg (Devil's Slide) Rock to Devil's Slide Special Closure , TK County
Montara State Marine Reserve , San Mateo County
Pillar Point State Marine Conservation Area , San Mateo County
Egg (Devil's Slide) Rock to Devil's Slide Special Closure , San Mateo County
Redwood Shores State Marine Park , San Mateo County
Bair Island State Marine Park , San Mateo County
Año Nuevo State Marine Conservation Area , Santa Cruz County
Greyhound Rock State Marine Conservation Area , Santa Cruz County
Natural Bridges State Marine Reserve , Santa Cruz County
Elkhorn Slough State Marine Reserve , Monterey County
Elkhorn Slough State Marine Conservation Area , Monterey County
Moro Cojo Slough State Marine Reserve , Monterey County
Soquel Canyon State Marine Conservation Area , Monterey County
Portuguese Ledge State Marine Conservation Area , Monterey County
Edward F. Ricketts State Marine Conservation Area , Monterey County
Lovers Point State Marine Reserve , Monterey County
Pacific Grove Marine Gardens State Marine Conservation Area , Monterey County
Asilomar State Marine Reserve , Monterey County
Carmel Pinnacles State Marine Reserve , Monterey County
Carmel Bay State Marine Conservation Area , Monterey County
Point Lobos State Marine Reserve , Monterey County
Point Lobos State Marine Conservation Area , Monterey County
Point Sur State Marine Reserve , Monterey County
Point Sur State Marine Conservation Area , Monterey County
Big Creek State Marine Reserve , Monterey County
Big Creek State Marine Conservation Area , Monterey County
Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve , San Luis Obispo County
Piedras Blancas State Marine Conservation Area , San Luis Obispo County
Cambria State Marine Conservation Area , San Luis Obispo County
White Rock (Cambria) State Marine Conservation Area , San Luis Obispo County
Morro Bay State Marine Reserve , San Luis Obispo County
Morro Bay State Marine Recreational Management Area , San Luis Obispo County
Point Buchon State Marine Reserve , San Luis Obispo County
Point Buchon State Marine Conservation Area , San Luis Obispo County
Vandenberg State Marine Reserve , Santa Barbara County
Kashtayit State Marine Conservation Area , Santa Barbara County
Naples State Marine Conservation Area , Santa Barbara County
Campus Point State Marine Conservation Area , Santa Barbara County
Goleta Slough State Marine Conservation Area , Santa Barbara County
Richardson Rock State Marine Reserve (also Federal Marine Reserve)
Santa Barbara Island State Marine Reserve (also Federal Marine Reserve), Santa Barbara Island, Santa Barbara County
Footprint State Marine Reserve (also Federal Marine Reserve)
Scorpion State Marine Reserve (also Federal Marine Reserve), Santa Cruz Island, Santa Barbara County
Gull Island State Marine Reserve (also Federal Marine Reserve), Santa Cruz Island, Santa Barbara County
Painted Cave State Marine Conservation Area , Santa Cruz Island, Santa Barbara County
South Point State Marine Reserve (also Federal Marine Reserve), Santa Rosa Island, Santa Barbara County
Skunk Point State Marine Reserve , Santa Rosa Island, Santa Barbara County
Carrington Point State Marine Reserve , Santa Rosa Island, Santa Barbara County
Judith Rock State Marine Reserve , San Miguel Island, Santa Barbara County
San Miguel Island Special Closure , San Miguel Island, Santa Barbara County
Harris Point State Marine Reserve (also Federal Marine Reserve), San Miguel Island, Santa Barbara County
Begg Rock State Marine Reserve , Ventura County
Anacapa State Marine Reserve (also Federal Marine Reserve), Anacapa Island; Ventura County
Anacapa Island State Marine Conservation Area (also Federal Marine Conservation Area), Anacapa Island, Ventura County
Anacapa Island Special Closure , Anacapa Island, Ventura County
Cat Harbor State Marine Conservation Area , Santa Catalina Island, Los Angeles County
Farnsworth Onshore State Marine Conservation Area , Santa Catalina Island, Los Angeles County
Farnsworth Offshore State Marine Conservation Area , Santa Catalina Island, Los Angeles County
Lover's Cove State Marine Conservation Area , Santa Catalina Island, Los Angeles County
Casino Point State Marine Conservation Area , Santa Catalina Island, Los Angeles County
Long Point State Marine Reserve , Santa Catalina Island, Los Angeles County
Blue Cavern Onshore State Marine Conservation Area , Santa Catalina Island, Los Angeles County
Blue Cavern Offshore State Marine Conservation Area , Santa Catalina Island, Los Angeles County
Arrow Point to Lion Head Point State Marine Conservation Area , Santa Catalina Island, Los Angeles County
Point Dume State Marine Conservation Area , Los Angeles County
Point Dume State Marine Reserve , Los Angeles County
Point Vicente State Marine Conservation Area , Los Angeles County
Abalone Cove State Marine Conservation Area , Los Angeles County
Bolsa Bay State Marine Conservation Area , Orange County
Bolsa Chica Basin State Marine Conservation Area , Orange County
Upper Newport Bay State Marine Conservation Area , Orange County
Crystal Cove State Marine Conservation Area , Orange County
Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve , Orange County
Laguna Beach State Marine Conservation Area , Orange County
Dana Point State Marine Conservation Area , Orange County
Batiquitos Lagoon State Marine Conservation Area , San Diego County
Swami's State Marine Conservation Area , San Diego County
San Elijo Lagoon State Marine Conservation Area , San Diego County
San Dieguito Lagoon State Marine Conservation Area , San Diego County
San Diego-Scripps Coastal State Marine Conservation Area , San Diego County
Matlahuayl State Marine Conservation Area , San Diego County
South La Jolla State Marine Reserve , San Diego County
South La Jolla State Marine Conservation Area , San Diego County
Famosa Slough State Marine Conservation Area , San Diego County
Cabrillo State Marine Reserve , San Diego County
Tijuana River Mouth State Marine Conservation Area , San Diego County
Areas of Special Biological Significance (ASBS)[ edit ]
There are 34 Areas of Special Biological Significance (ASBS) off the coast of California. These are marine areas that "support an unusual variety of aquatic life, and often host unique individual species" that are monitored for water quality by the California State Water Resources Control Board .[ 5]
Region 1 – North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
Region 2 – San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board
Region 3 – Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
Region 4 – Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board
Region 8 - Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board
Region 9 – San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board
Marine protected areas by nation International marine conservation organisations Related