Department of Fish and Game

Existing Marine Protected Area Maps and Coordinates

The areas listed below are marine protected areas that currently exist in California State waters.

MPA Mobile Website
MarineBIOS

This list includes:

  • The Central Coast Marine Protected Areas, which went into effect on September 21, 2007
  • The North Central Coast Marine Protected Areas, which went into effect on May 1, 2010
  • The South Coast Marine Protected Areas, which went into effect on January 1, 2012

Note: Other state and federal regulations and restrictions on fishing may apply. The following maps do not replace the legal descriptions found in Title 14, California Code of Regulations or other state and federal regulations. Map Datum used is North American Datum 1983 (NAD83) and position format is in Degrees Minutes Decimal Minutes (DDD MM.MMM).

For your convenience, we are offering two different options for viewing each of these maps:

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Humboldt County

Mendocino County

Marine Protected Areas

South Coast

California's new and improved MPA network in the south coast region (Point Conception in Santa Barbara County to the California/Mexico border) went into effect January 1, 2012. The south coast MPA network encompasses 37 new or modified MPAs, including the pre-existing 13 MPAs and two special closures located at the northern Channel Islands. A total of 354 square miles or about 15% of coastal waters in the south coast region is located in an MPA.

North Central Coast

California's North-Central Coast Marine Protected Areas took effect May 1, 2010, from Alder Creek, near Point Arena (Mendocino County) to Pigeon Point (San Mateo County), the series of 22 marine protected areas (MPAs), three State Marine Recreational Management Areas, and six special closures, covers approximately 153 square miles (20.1%) of state waters in the north central coast study region.

Central Coast

The MLPA Initiative began with a pilot project along the central coast of California. The California Fish and Game Commission has evaluated alternative MPA proposals for the central coast and made a final decision on April 13, 2007 in Bodega Bay.

 
 

Sonoma County

Napa County

Marin County

San Francisco County

Solano County

Alameda County

San Mateo County

Santa Cruz County

Monterey County

San Luis Obispo County

Santa Barbara County

Ventura County

Los Angeles County

Orange County

San Diego County