Carmel Bay State Marine Conservation Area

The Carmel Bay SMCA encourages recreational fishing opportunities in an area close to a nearby port by precluding commercial extraction or take of invertebrates throughout the Bay but allowing sport fishing for finfish from shore, kayak, or boat.

On opposite sides of Carmel Bay are the only two extant stands of Monterey Cypress, Cupressus macrocarpa.

[3] This marine protected area is bounded by the mean high tide line and straight lines connecting the following points in the order listed:[4] Habitats protected by Carmel Bay SMCA include kelp forest, sandy beach, submarine canyon head, and surfgrass.

Divers and kayakers are attracted to its unique pinnacle formations, granite reefs and kelp forests.

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