Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) for the North Central Coast were established in 2010. The North Central Coast covers California state waters (generally 0-3 nm from shore) between Alder Creek near Point Arena (Mendocino County) to Pigeon Point in San Mateo County, and also includes the state waters around the Farallon Islands.
The different types of MPAs are:
- 12 State Marine Conservation Areas (SMCA) that allow limited recreational and/or commercial take
- 10 “No-Take” State Marine Reserves (SMR) that prohibit recreational and commercial take
- 3 State Marine Recreational Managed Area (SMRMA) that limit recreational and commercial take while allowing for continued take of waterfowl
- 6 Special Closures that are specific no access areas designated for sea bird rookeries or marine mammal haul-out sites
Guide to North Central Coast MPAs can be downloaded here: PDF
MPA Guide for Fishermen can be found here: PDF
Maps and boundaries for individual MPA “groups” can be found here:
Point Arena
Saunders Reef
Del Mar Landing
Stewarts Point/Salt Point
Russian River
Bodega Head
Point Reyes
Duxbury Reef
Half Moon Bay
Farallon Islands
Special Closures
