Cambria 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 con ...

located off the coast of the city of

Cambria, California Cambria () is a seaside village in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles along California State Route 1 (Highway 1). The name Cambria, chosen in 1869, is the Latin name for Wales. ...

on California’s central coast in

San Luis Obispo County, California San Luis Obispo County (), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a county on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 282,424. The county seat is San Luis Obispo. Junípero Serra founded the Missi ...

. The marine protected area covers . Within the SMCA recreational fishing and take is allowed while

commercial fishing Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must oft ...

and take of all living marine resources is prohibited.

History

Cambria State Marine Conservation Area was established in September 2007 by the

California Department of Fish & Game 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 ...

. It was one of 29 marine protected areas adopted during the first phase of the

Marine Life Protection Act The Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) was passed in 1999 and is part of the California Fish and Game Code. The MLPA requires California to reevaluate all existing marine protected areas (MPAs) and potentially design new MPAs that together form a s ...

Initiative. The Marine Life Protection Act Initiative (or MLPAI) is a collaborative public process to create a statewide network of marine protected areas along the California coastline.

Geography and natural features

Cambria SMCA is located off the coast of Cambria and adjoins

White Rock (Cambria) State Marine Conservation Area White Rock (Cambria) State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) is a marine protected area located off the coast of the city of Cambria, California on California’s central coast. The marine protected area covers . Within the SMCA the take of all li ...

. The SMCA is offshore from San Simeon State Park. This marine protected area is bounded by the mean high tide line and straight lines connecting the following points in the order listed: # # # and #.

Habitat and wildlife

Key habitats protected within the SMCA include steelhead streams,

kelp forest Kelp forests are underwater areas with a high density of kelp, which covers a large part of the world's coastlines. Smaller areas of anchored kelp are called kelp beds. They are recognized as one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems on Ea ...

, rocky intertidal zone, sandy and cobble beach, reef and sandy bottom, pinnacles and offshore rocks. The area is home to various wildlife including sea otters and birds.

Recreation and nearby attractions

The adjacent San Simeon State Park provides scenic and recreational opportunities for year-round visitors. Hiking, fishing, surfing and whale watching are among these opportunities. There are two campgrounds within the park, one primitive.

Hearst Castle Hearst Castle, known formally as La Cuesta Encantada ( Spanish for "The Enchanted Hill"), is a historic estate in San Simeon, located on the Central Coast of California. Conceived by William Randolph Hearst, the publishing tycoon, and his arch ...

, former home of William Randolph Hearst, is at nearby Hearst San Simeon State Historic Monument and offers visitor tours. 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 have already detected gradual improvements in fish size and number.Castell, Jenn, et al.
How do patterns of abundance and size structure differ between fished and unfished waters in the Channel Islands? Results from SCUBA surveys
". Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO) at University of California, Santa Barbara and University of California, Santa Cruz; Channel Islands National Park. Retrieved December 18, 2008. Local scientific and educational institutions involved in the monitoring include Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station, University of California Santa Cruz, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Research methods include hook-and-line sampling, intertidal and scuba diver surveys, and the use of Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) submarines.

References

External links

CaliforniaMpas.org: Marine sanctuaries in CaliforniaMarine Life Protection Act InitiativeCalOceansHearst San Simeon State ParkHearst San Simeon State Historic Monument
{{authority control Marine sanctuaries in California California Department of Fish and Wildlife areas Protected areas of San Luis Obispo County, California Cambria, California 2007 establishments in California Protected areas established in 2007