Carmel Pinnacles State Marine Reserve (SMR) 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 ...

in Carmel Bay including a unique underwater pinnacle formation with adjacent

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 ...

, submarine canyon head, and surfgrass. Carmel Bay is adjacent to the city of

Carmel-by-the-Sea Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its natural scenery and r ...

and is near

Monterey Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bot ...

, on California's central coast.

History

Carmel Pinnacles SMR 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. This marine protected area covers .53 square miles bounded by the mean high tide line and straight lines connecting the following points in the order listed: * 36° 33.65’ N. lat. 121° 57.60’ W. long.; * 36° 33.65’ N. lat. 121° 58.50’ W. long.; * 36° 33.10’ N. lat. 121° 58.50’ W. long.; * 36° 33.10’ N. lat. 121° 57.60’ W. long.; and * 36° 33.65’ N. lat. 121° 57.60’ W. long.

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. The SMR protects all

marine life Marine life, sea life, or ocean life is the plants, animals and other organisms that live in the salt water of seas or oceans, or the brackish water of coastal estuaries. At a fundamental level, marine life affects the nature of the planet. ...

within its boundaries. Fishing and take of all living marine resources is prohibited. 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.

Recreation and nearby attractions

The reserve is near

Carmel Bay State Marine Conservation Area Carmel Bay State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) is a marine protected area in Carmel Bay. Carmel Bay is adjacent to the city of Carmel-by-the-Sea and is near Monterey, on California’s central coast. The marine protected area covers 2.12 squ ...

, Point Lobos State Marine Reserve and

Point Lobos State Marine Conservation Area Point Lobos and the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is a state park in California. Adjoining Point Lobos is "one of the richest marine habitats in California." The ocean habitat is protected by two marine protected areas, the Point Lobos St ...

. Carmel Bay is an unsurpassed ocean recreational playground serving as a destination for divers and kayakers attracted to its unique pinnacle formations, granite reefs and kelp forests.

is known for its beautiful white sand beach. In nearby

, the

Monterey Bay Aquarium Monterey Bay Aquarium is a nonprofit public aquarium in Monterey, California. Known for its regional focus on the marine habitats of Monterey Bay, it was the first to exhibit a living kelp forest when it opened in October 1984. Its biolo ...

is a major tourist attraction featuring a living kelp forest. The exhibit includes many of the species native to the nearby marine protected areas. The aquarium also houses sea otters, intertidal wildlife, and occasionally sea turtles. California's marine protected areas encourage recreational and educational uses of the ocean.Department of Fish and Game.
California Fish and Game Code section 2853 (b)(3)
". Marine Life Protection Act. Retrieved December 18, 2008. Activities such as kayaking, diving, snorkeling, and swimming are allowed unless otherwise restricted.

References

External links

California's MPAsMarine Life Protection Act InitiativeCalOceansCarmel-By-The-SeaMonterey Bay Aquarium
{{authority control Marine sanctuaries in California Carmel-by-the-Sea, California California Department of Fish and Wildlife areas California State Reserves Protected areas of Monterey County, California