Abalone Cove State Marine Conservation Area and Point Vicente State Marine Reserve

Their job was to design a network of protected areas that would preserve sensitive sea life and habitats while enhancing recreation, study and education opportunities.

Abalone Cove SMCA and Point Vicente SMR are two adjoining marine protected areas that extend offshore in Los Angeles County on California's south coast.

Habitats include dense kelp forests, extensive and complex rocky reefs, and migration waters for a host of marine mammals.

The Point Vicente Interpretive Center offers recreational and educational opportunities to the public and is a famous spot for observing migrating whales from shore, due in part to its high elevation.

Abalone Cove SMCA prohibits the take of all living marine resources except that pelagic finfish including white seabass and bonito may be taken by recreational spearfishing, and swordfish may be taken by commercial harpoon.

Similar studies in marine protected areas located off the Santa Barbara Channel Islands have already detected gradual improvements in fish size and number.