Del Mar Landing State Marine Reserve facts for kids
Del Mar Landing State Marine Reserve (SMR) is a special ocean area. It's like an underwater park! It's located in Sonoma County, California. You can find it about two miles (3 km) south of Gualala. It's also three and a half miles north of Sea Ranch. This protected area covers about 0.22 square miles (0.57 km2). In this reserve, it's against the rules to take any living things from the ocean. This helps keep the sea life safe.
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Why is it Protected?
Del Mar Landing SMR became a protected area in August 2009. It was part of a bigger plan called the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative. This plan aimed to create a network of protected ocean areas all along California's coast.
Local people helped create these protected areas. Divers, fishermen, scientists, and people who care about nature worked together. They wanted to protect ocean animals and their homes. They also wanted to make sure people could still enjoy the ocean. These new protected areas started on May 1, 2010.
Where is Del Mar Landing SMR?
Del Mar Landing SMR is on California's north central coast. It's in Sonoma County. The reserve is about two miles (3 km) south of Gualala. It's also about three and a half miles north of Sea Ranch. This SMR changed an older protected area called the Del Mar Ecological Reserve. Local communities really liked that older reserve.
What Lives Here?
This protected area helps keep ocean life safe. It's especially good for protecting fish that live near the shore. It also protects abalone, which are a type of sea snail. The reserve helps keep their homes healthy too.
Fun Things to Do
Many fun activities are allowed in the area. You can go abalone diving, but remember, you can't take anything out of the reserve. Ocean and freshwater fishing are also popular. Swimming and kayaking are great ways to explore the water.
You can also find places to camp nearby. Gualala River Redwood Park is a good spot. Gualala Point Regional Park and Anchor Bay Campground are also options. Just remember, collecting any living things from the ocean is not allowed here. This rule helps protect the marine life.
Studying the Ocean
Scientists are watching protected areas like Del Mar Landing SMR. They want to see how well these areas are working. They also want to learn more about the health of our oceans. Studies in other protected areas have shown good results. For example, in the Santa Barbara Channel Islands, fish have grown bigger and there are more of them. This shows that protecting ocean areas can really help!
Images for kids
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Abalone, a type of sea snail, lives in the reserve.
