Moro Cojo Slough State Marine Reserve
Encyclopedia
Moro Cojo Estuary State Marine Reserve (SMR) is a marine protected area
established to protect the wildlife and habitats in Moro Cojo Slough. Moro Cojo Slough is located inland from Monterey Bay
on the central coast of California
, directly south of the more widely known Elkhorn Slough
. The area covers 0.46 square miles (1.2 km²). The SMR protects all marine life within its boundaries. Fishing and take of all living marine resources is prohibited.
. 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.
Within Moro Cojo SMR all living marine resources are protected.
Moro Cojo SMR includes the waters within Moro Cojo Slough below mean high tide and east of the Highway 1
Bridge and west of the crossing of the Southern Pacific railroad tracks.
Moro Cojo and nearby Elkhorn sloughs host year-round residents tightly associated with estuaries
, such as pickleweed
, eelgrass
, oyster
s, gaper clams, and longjaw mudsucker
s, as well as important seasonal visitors such as migratory shorebirds, sea otters, and sharks and rays.
Also nearby is the Moss Landing Wildlife Area which protects 728 acres (2.9 km²) of salt ponds and salt marsh
. Limited recreation is permitted within the Wildlife Area.
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.
Marine Protected Area
Marine Protected Areas, like any protected area, are regions in which human activity has been placed under some restrictions in the interest of conserving the natural environment, it's surrounding waters and the occupant ecosystems, and any cultural or historical resources that may require...
established to protect the wildlife and habitats in Moro Cojo Slough. Moro Cojo Slough is located inland from Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean, along the central coast of California. The bay is south of San Francisco and San Jose, between the cities of Santa Cruz and Monterey....
on the central coast of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, directly south of the more widely known Elkhorn Slough
Elkhorn Slough
Elkhorn Slough is a tidal slough and estuary on Monterey Bay in Monterey County, California. The community of Moss Landing and the huge Moss Landing Power Plant are located at the mouth of the slough on the bay....
. The area covers 0.46 square miles (1.2 km²). The SMR protects all marine life within its boundaries. Fishing and take of all living marine resources is prohibited.
History
The Moro Cojo SMR was established in September 2007 by the California Fish and Game Commission. It was one of 29 marine protected areas adopted during the first phase of the Marine Life Protection Act InitiativeMarine Life Protection Act
The Marine Life Protection Act 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 and potentially design new MPAs that together function as a statewide network. The MLPA has clear guidance associated...
. 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.
Within Moro Cojo SMR all living marine resources are protected.
Geography and Natural Features
Moro Cojo SMR is near the Moss Landing State Wildlife Area, the Elkhorn Slough State Marine Reserve and the Elkhorn Slough State Marine Conservation Area.Moro Cojo SMR includes the waters within Moro Cojo Slough below mean high tide and east of the Highway 1
California State Route 1
State Route 1 , more often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. It is famous for running along some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, leading to its designation as an All-American Road.Highway 1 does not run...
Bridge and west of the crossing of the Southern Pacific railroad tracks.
Habitat and Wildlife
Moro Cojo Slough provides representation of rare brackish habitats that support threatened species. Habitat types include mudflats, tidal creeks and channels.Moro Cojo and nearby Elkhorn sloughs host year-round residents tightly associated with estuaries
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
, such as pickleweed
Pickleweed
Pickleweed is a common name used for two unrelated genera of flowering plants:*Batis, family Bataceae*Salicornia, family Amaranthaceae...
, eelgrass
Zostera
Zostera is a small genus of widely distributed seagrass, commonly called marine eelgrass or simply eelgrass . The genus Zostera contains sixteen species.-Ecology:Zostera is found on sandy substrates or in estuaries submerged or partially floating...
, oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
s, gaper clams, and longjaw mudsucker
Longjaw mudsucker
The longjaw mudsucker Gillichthys mirabilis is a goby of the Pacific Ocean coast of California and Baja California, noted for its extremely large mouth and ability to survive out of water for short periods....
s, as well as important seasonal visitors such as migratory shorebirds, sea otters, and sharks and rays.
Recreation and Nearby Attractions
The nearby Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve and Elkhorn Slough Foundation provide on-site management, education, and stewardship and offer public access via 5 miles (8 km) of trails, as well as a Visitor Center and volunteer opportunities.Also nearby is the Moss Landing Wildlife Area which protects 728 acres (2.9 km²) of salt ponds and salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
. Limited recreation is permitted within the Wildlife Area.
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.