Humboldt's Marine Protected Areas

Kayaking the Hookton Slough on South Humboldt Bay. DELIA BENSE-KANG

By Delia Bense-Kang

Overwhelmed by the plethora of California coastal destinations to explore? Narrow down your options by visiting the state’s 124 marine protected areas! In 2012, California completed the United State’s first network of marine protected areas (MPAs), becoming an international leader in ocean conservation. These MPAs conserve and restore wildlife and habitats in our ocean just as national and state parks do on land. And just as you visit parks on land, MPAs are open for public enjoyment. Here in Humboldt we have ten MPAs that provide a range of coastal habitats from kelp forests to coastal wetlands and rocky reefs to sandy ocean floors. It is not only allowed, but encouraged to get out and enjoy these areas. Whether it be swimming, diving, surfing, kayaking, bird watching, or simply relaxing in nature, there is the MPA for you. Just make sure you take proper precautions and know the rules before you go! Here’s a closer look at two of our Humboldt County MPAs.

READING ROCK STATE MARINE CONSERVATION AREA AND STATE MARINE RESERVE

This hidden gem of a beach will have you marveling at mountains of driftwood, gurgling Redwood Creek, rocky reef tidepools, and a backdrop of redwood trees. You might be all alone except for some local seals sunning themselves on the sand spit. On a clear day, if you look offshore to the North you might be able to see Reading Rock itself in all its glory. It lies just outside of the MPA and is a favored fishing ground that is historically important to the Yurok Tribe. Reading Rock SMCA and SMR protect both rocky reefs and sandy bottom habitats. These habitats are essential for many species including halibut, harbor seals, sea lions, murres, guillemots, cormorants, auklets,kelp, lingcod, cabezon and kelp greenling.

SOUTH HUMBOLDT BAY STATE MARINE RECREATIONAL MANAGEMENT AREA

Characterized by intertidal mudflats and eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds, the South Humboldt Bay SMRMA is perhaps one of the most unique of Humboldt’s MPAs. Humboldt Bay is California’s second largest estuary and holds about 40 percent of the state’s eelgrass. Eelgrass is beneficial to humans and wildlife - it not only cushions shorelines from wave energy, breaks down pollutants, and is highly effective in carbon sequestration, but provides critical habitat for seabirds, waterfowl, fish, and and many marine mammals. The SMRMA is an important nursery for marine and estuary fishes, including halibut, salmon, stag horn sculpin, surf perch, leopard sharks and rays. Millions of migratory birds rely on this area along the Pacific Flyway and more than 200 bird species, including 80 kinds of water birds and four endangered species, regularly feed, rest, or nest on the refuge or other areas around the bay. Want a closer look? Nearby Hookton Slough offers boat launch access for kayaking and paddle boarding.