Montara State Marine Reserve (SMR) and Pillar Point State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) are two adjoining marine protected areas that extend offshore from Montara to Pillar Point in San Mateo County on California’s north central coast. The combined area of these marine protected areas is , with in the SMR and 6.66 in the SMCA. Montara SMR prohibits the take of all living marine resources. Pillar Point SMCA prohibits the take of all living marine resources, except the recreational and commercial take of pelagic finfish by trolling or seine, the commercial or recreational take of Dungeness crab by trap and the commercial or recreational take or market squid by hand-held dip net or round haul net. Point Montara Panorama

History

Montara SMR and Pillar Point SMCA are two of 22 marine protected areas adopted by the California Department of Fish and Game in August 2009, during the second phase of the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative. The MLPAI is a collaborative public process to create a statewide network of protected areas along California’s coastline. The north central coast’s new marine protected areas were designed by local divers, fishermen, conservationists and scientists who comprised the North Central Coast Regional Stakeholder Group. Their job was to design a network of protected areas that would preserve sensitive sea life and habitats while enhancing recreation, study and education opportunities. The north central coast marine protected areas took effect on May 1, 2010.

Geography and natural features

Montara State Marine Reserve (SMR) and Pillar Point State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) are two adjoining marine protected areas that extend offshore from Montara to Pillar Point in San Mateo County on California’s north central coast. Montara is approximately south of San Francisco, while Pillar Point is a peninsula that juts into the Pacific Ocean a few miles north of

Half Moon Bay Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, United States, approximately south of San Francisco. Its population was 11,795 as of the 2020 census. Immediately at the north of Half Moon Bay is Pillar Point Harbor and the un ...

. With a northern boundary bisecting Montara State Beach, Montara SMR includes the protected

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is a marine reserve in California on the Pacific Ocean, located just north of Pillar Point Harbor and Mavericks in the San Mateo County community of Moss Beach. Moss Beach is located approximately south of San Francis ...

, which is well known for its tide pools. Montara SMR is bounded by the mean high tide line and straight lines connecting the following points in the order listed except where noted: # # thence southward along the three nautical mile offshore boundary to # and #. Pillar Point SMCA is bounded by the mean high tide line and straight lines connecting the following points in the order listed except where noted: # # thence southward along the three nautical mile offshore boundary to # # # and #.

Habitat and wildlife

Moss Beach Moss Beach is a coastal census-designated place in San Mateo County, California, with a year 2020 census population of 3,214. Located in Moss Beach are the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, a marine sanctuary; the Half Moon Bay Airport, the historic Mo ...

, within Montara SMR, is a hotspot of intertidal biodiversity. The rich and varied tide pools contain a remarkable assortment of

mussel Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and Freshwater bivalve, freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other ...

barnacle A barnacle is a type of arthropod constituting the subclass Cirripedia in the subphylum Crustacea, and is hence related to crabs and lobsters. Barnacles are exclusively marine, and tend to live in shallow and tidal waters, typically in eros ...

s, nudibranchs,

starfish Starfish or sea stars are star-shaped echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea (). Common usage frequently finds these names being also applied to ophiuroids, which are correctly referred to as brittle stars or basket stars. Starfish ...

, and

crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all the ...

s. Shallow nearshore shale and granite reefs, seagrass beds, giant kelp stands, and rock pinnacles and ridges provide homes for hundreds of species of marine life, such as prickleback eels, sharks and

ray Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (g ...

s, as well as six native species found nowhere else in the world.

Recreation and nearby attractions

Big wave surfers and their fans travel from around the world to catch a glimpse of the giant waves that break at "

Mavericks Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bureau ...

" off nearby Pillar Point. Montara State Beach is a popular destination for area visitors just north of the SMR, as are the tide pools at the

, which will be further protected and enhanced with the creation of Montara SMR in the surrounding waters. Point Montara Light Station features an historic lighthouse. Just north is

Gray Whale Cove State Beach Gray Whale Cove State Beach is a California State Park between Pacifica, California, and Montara, California, by Highway 1 and approximately 18 miles south of San Francisco. It features a sheltered cove surrounded by abrupt cliffs, with trails ...

, gray whales are often spotted from the bluff above a sheltered cove. Montara SMR prohibits the take of all living marine resources. Pillar Point SMCA prohibits the take of all living marine resources, except the recreational and commercial take of pelagic finfish by trolling or seine, the commercial or recreational take of Dungeness crab by trap and the commercial or recreational take or market squid by hand-held dip net or round haul net. However, California’s marine protected areas encourage recreational and educational uses of the ocean. Activities such as kayaking, diving, snorkeling, and swimming are allowed unless otherwise restricted.

Scientific monitoring

As specified by the Marine Life Protection Act, select marine protected areas along California’s central coast are being monitored by scientists to track their effectiveness and learn more about ocean health. Similar studies in marine protected areas located off of the

Santa Barbara Channel Islands The Channel Islands () are an eight-island archipelago located within the Southern California Bight in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California. The four Northern Channel Islands are part of the Transverse Ranges geologic province, and ...

have already detected gradual improvements in fish size and number.

References

External links

Official siteMarine Life Protection ActCalOceansMontara State BeachPoint Montara Light StationGray Whale Cove State BeachFriends of Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montara State Marine Reserve and Pillar Point State Marine Conservation Area Marine sanctuaries in California California Department of Fish and Wildlife areas California State Reserves Protected areas of San Mateo County, California Half Moon Bay, California 2009 establishments in California Protected areas established in 2009