San Dieguito Lagoon State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) is a

marine protected area Marine protected areas (MPA) are protected areas of seas, oceans, estuaries or in the US, the Great Lakes. These marine areas can come in many forms ranging from wildlife refuges to research facilities. MPAs restrict human activity for a conserv ...

near Del Mar in

San Diego County San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the fi ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

’s south coast. The SMCA covers a small area of coastal and inland lagoon habitat. The SMCA protects marine life by limiting the removal of marine wildlife from within its borders. San Dieguito Lagoon SMCA prohibits take of all living marine resources except recreational take of

finfish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of liv ...

by hook-and-line from shore and the Grand Avenue bridge. Boating, swimming, wading, and diving are prohibited within the conservation area.

History

San Dieguito Lagoon SMCA is one of 36 new marine protected areas adopted by the

California Fish and Game Commission The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), formerly known as the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), is a state agency under the California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Wildlife manages and protect ...

in December, 2010 during the third phase of the

Marine Life Protection Act Initiative Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

. The MLPAI is a collaborative public process to create a statewide network of protected areas along California's coastline. The south coast's new marine protected areas were designed by local divers, fishermen, conservationists and scientists who comprised the South 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 south coast marine protected areas went into effect in 2012.

Geography and natural features

San Dieguito Lagoon SMCA is located near Del Mar, CA. This area consists of waters below the mean high tide line within the San Dieguito Lagoon Ecological Reserve.

Habitat and wildlife

This area protects estuarine/lagoon habitat and associated species.

Recreation and nearby attractions

Scientific monitoring

As specified by the Marine Life Protection Act, select marine protected areas along California's south 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.http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/channel_islands/pdfs/handout_caselle.pdf

References

External links

Marine Life Protection Act InitiativeCalOceans
{{coord missing, San Diego County, California Lagoons of San Diego County, California Protected areas of San Diego County, California Protected areas established in 2010 2010 establishments in California Marine sanctuaries in California