Batiquitos 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 conse ...

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

’s south coast. It is part of Batiquitos Lagoon, a coastal tidal wetland lying within the city limits of Carlsbad, California and adjacent to

Encinitas, California Encinitas ( Spanish for "Small Oaks") is a beach city in the North County area of San Diego County, California. Located within Southern California, it is approximately north of San Diego, between Solana Beach and Carlsbad, and about south ...

. The SMCA covers 2000 miles. The SMCA protects marine life by limiting the removal of marine wildlife from within its borders.

Activities

Batiquitos Lagoon SMCA prohibits take of all living marine resources except for take pursuant to operation and maintenance,

habitat restoration Restoration ecology is the scientific study supporting the practice of ecological restoration, which is the practice of renewing and restoring degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment by active human interrupt ...

, research and education, maintenance dredging and maintenance of artificial structures inside the conservation area per any required federal, state and local permits, or activities pursuant to Section 630, or as otherwise authorized by the department. Boating, swimming, wading, and diving are prohibited within the conservation area.California Department of Fish and Game
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History

Batiquitos Lagoon SMCA is one of 36 new marine protected areas adopted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife 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 Milita ...

. The MLPAI is a collaborative public process to create a statewide network of protected areas along California’s coastline. The new marine protected areas were designated 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

Batiquitos Lagoon State Marine Conservation includes the waters below the mean high tide line within Batiquitos Lagoon eastward of the Interstate Highway 5 bridge, approximated by a line between the following two points: and .

Habitat and wildlife

This area protects important estuarine habitat and associated species.

Recreation and nearby attractions

The coastline of Encinitas and nearby cities of

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

and

Solana Beach Solana Beach (''Solana'', Spanish for "warm wind") is a coastal city in San Diego County, California. Its population was at 12,941 at the 2020 U.S. Census, up from 12,867 at the 2010 Census. History The area was first settled by the San Dieg ...

offer ocean-view paths for bike riding. Swami’s beach connects with several miles of uninterrupted beaches, from the San Elijo Lagoon inlet to South Carlsbad Beach jetty. The area is popular for walking and jogging. Nearby cities offer shops, boutiques, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and golfing.

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.

References

External links

Marine Life Protection Act InitiativeCalOceansThe City of Encinitas
{{Protected areas of California Protected areas of San Diego County, California Protected areas established in 2010 2010 establishments in California