Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve and Marine Conservation Area
The Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve (SMR) and Piedras Blancas State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) are two contiguous marine protected areas that lie in the sea off San Luis Obispo County on the central coast of the US state of California . The area that belongs together is approximately 51 km². The Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve protects all marine animals and plants living in the area. Fishing and any other removal from these is prohibited in the protected area. Fishing and other removal of marine life is also prohibited in the Piedras Blancas State Marine Conservation. Exceptions are commercial fishing for salmon and albacore tuna or measures covered by renaturalization.
history
The two sanctuaries were designated as protected areas by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in 2007 . They are 2 of 29 protected areas designated during the first phase of the Marine Life Protection Act .
Geography and nature
The adjacent areas are off the coast of San Luis Obispo County . They are limited by flood lines and straight lines drawn from certain coordinates.
Occurrence of wildlife
The protected areas have a species-rich coastal zone in which tide pools , two species of seaweed and both sandy and rocky beaches can be found. At sea, in the deeper part of the sea, there is a plateau-like rock structure that attracts large populations of fish and their food animals. This structure also serves as a natural shelter for spiked heads . These habitats support a particularly large biodiversity that includes birds and marine mammals . Examples are the California sea lions , the Northern elephant seals , the seals , the northern fur seals and sea otters . Historically, the area has been a productive abalone hunting area in California. Many migrating whales, especially gray whales , migrate through the area annually. A northern Pacific right whale was also sighted in the area in 1995 .
Surroundings and sights
The Hearst Castle , the former home of William Randolph Hearst , is located near the Hearst San Simeon State Historic Monument , which can be found near the reserve.
The Piedras Blancas lighthouse is located in a natural setting. Run by the Bureau of Land Management , the lighthouse was built in 1875. A Victorian-style apartment was added later.
Piedras Blancas is home to a significant colony of elephant seals.
The two protected areas have been renaturalized. Kayaking , swimming and diving are permitted in the areas .
Scientific investigations
Under the Marine Life Protection Act, various protected areas along the central California coast are monitored by scientists to research their effectiveness and the health of the ocean. The same study was conducted in protected areas near the Santa Barbara Channel Islands . It was discovered that the fish in protected areas gradually grew larger and larger than fish in unprotected areas.
Local scientific and educational institutions are involved in the studies. For example, Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station , the University of California Santa Cruz , Moss Landing Marine Laboratories and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are all involved . The methods of exploration are spot fishing and various tide surveys by divers. In addition, so-called Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) submarines are used.
Web links
- California MPAs
- Hearst San Simeon State Historic Monument
- Friends of the Elephant Seal
- virtual tour of the protected area
Individual evidence
- ↑ Dr. Craig Shuman: Central California Marine Protected Areas. California Department of Fish and Wildlife, March 1, 2016, archived from the original on June 10, 2018 ; accessed on June 10, 2018 .
- ↑ Appendix O. Regional MPA Management Plans. California Department of Fish and Wildlife, archived from the original on June 10, 2018 ; accessed on June 10, 2018 .
- ^ J. Scarff: Records of North Pacific Right Whales along the coasts of California, Baja, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. October 17, 2017, archived from the original on June 10, 2018 ; accessed on June 10, 2018 .
- ↑ SPECIAL STATUS SPECIES: NORTH PACIFIC RIGHT WHALE (Eubalaena japonica). Sanctuary Integrated Monitoring Network, archived from the original on April 29, 2018 ; accessed on June 10, 2018 .